early head start home visits

The Essentials of Home Visiting

Robust. Reflective. Relevant. Accredited online courses to support home visiting in any model.

Home visitors, doulas and family support professionals are an essential part of family wellbeing and strong program outcomes. That’s why we launched The Essentials of Home Visiting, a high-quality, online training platform designed to create confident, competent home visitors and supervisors within any home visiting model.

The Essentials of Home Visiting closes the gap in home visitor education with relevant topics and a flexible, accredited training experience. Learners earn early childhood CEUs that support the acquisition and maintenance of professional credentials across multiple fields and state and professional registries.

Our comprehensive catalog of cost-effective, self-paced courses and live webinars is competency-based and rooted in decades of home visiting expertise from Start Early. Individualized implementation support from Start Early experts ensures you meet state and system requirements while strengthening the professionalism of your entire home visiting workforce.

NEW! Adult Learning & Adult Literacy Webinars

Learn about the factors that affect adult learning and literacy and become more effective in collaborating and engaging with diverse families. These webinars are perfect for ALL home visiting and early childhood staff.

Live Webinars Available in Spanish!

Attend two of our most popular Essentials of Home Visiting webinars, presented live in Spanish. Reach out to our team to learn more.

The course helped me better organize my time and prepare myself before going to a home visit. I feel more confident in ... how I utilize my knowledge and take care of myself in order to help others. Participant

What does The Essentials of Home Visiting include?

The Essentials of Home Visiting offers research-based learning experiences that can be mixed and matched to create custom training solutions for family professionals.

Self-Paced Online Courses

The course catalog includes 10 courses, which cover everything from foundational training to advanced topics like infant mental health and trauma-informed practice. Two courses are specifically designed for supervisors of family professionals.

Online courses are self-paced and typically completed in 2-3 hours, with unlimited starting and stopping permitted. Learners have perpetual access to their courses, so they can refer back to the content at a later date.

Course Catalog

• Basics of Home Visiting
• The Impact of Trauma in Home Visiting
• Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3™) Overview & Best Practices
• Foundations of Infant Mental Health Practice in Home Visiting

Live Webinars

Webinars are live and facilitated by home visiting experts at Start Early. Each webinar is offered multiple times throughout the year.

There are 17 webinars within the course catalog, including 2 that are offered in both English and Spanish, and 4 specifically developed for supervisors. Each webinar includes a presentation, case studies and a Q & A session. Participants also have access to the recorded sessions.

• Understanding Substance Abuse Through the Family’s Lens
• Home Visiting Boundaries
• Promoting Effective Parenting With Motivational Interviewing
• Trauma in Families & Communities

Implementation Support

Start Early experts provide technical assistance to assist state and system leaders in providing the optimal professional learning experiences to meet the unique needs of professionals.

Technical assistance includes:

• Regular calls to discuss implementation progress
• User data analysis and reporting
• Custom training portal with partner branding
• Communication tools and materials to drive usage

All Essentials of Home Visiting participants receive a Certificate of Completion stating the number of hours of professional development and a description of the learning event completed. The Essentials of Home Visiting trainings can be used towards several credentials and align with many state professional development registry systems. See full list below:

Credentials

• Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health (AAIMH) : The Essentials of Home Visiting self-paced online courses and live webinars are approved by the AAIMH. Upon completion of these learning experiences, participants earn in-service training credits towards Endorsement® from their local Infant Mental Health Association, if their association is a member of the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. See crosswalk which details The Essentials of Home Visiting trainings that support each Endorsement Knowledge & Skill Area, as well as credit hours a professional may earn upon completion.
• Child Development Associate (CDA) for Home Visitors: The Essentials of Home Visiting trainings can be used as Professional Education Clock Hours to obtain or renew your CDA for Home Visitors. Upon course completion, participants are provided official certifications documenting all required information. See crosswalk which details the alignment of the Essentials of Home Visiting to the CDA-Home Visitor competency goals and the number of credit hours that can be earned.
• Continuing Education Units (CEUs):   Start Early is approved by IACET (International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training) to offer CEUs in support of the workforce to earn, obtain, or renew a range of recognized credentials. Start Early is a provider of CEUs for Social Work, Education and Nursing in the state of Illinois. We can supply you with the necessary documentation so you can receive CEUs within your state.
• Nursing and Social Work: Start Early is an approved provider of CEUs in Nursing, Social Work, and early childhood workforce certifications. Many states licensing boards for Nursing and Social Work have reciprocal agreement to accept CEUs as approved by these boards in Illinois. Certificates of Completion can be downloaded to verify attendance and submitted per your license requirements.
• Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) :The Essentials of Home Visiting online courses can be used for Contact Hours / CEUs to obtain or renew your CFLE credential. Upon course completion, participants are provided official certifications documenting all required information.

Competencies

• Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals (IAFSP): The Essentials of Home Visiting courses align to the IAFSP Competency Framework. See crosswalk for additional detail.
• Head Start / Early Head Start Relationship-Based Competencies to Support Family Engagement: The Essentials of Home Visiting self-paced online courses and live webinars align with the Relationship-Based Competencies which support strengthening relationships with families, family engagement, and professional development. See crosswalk which details The Essentials of Home Visiting courses and webinars, and which Relationship-Based Competencies are supported by each.
• National Workforce Registry Alliance (NWRA) Training Organization Recognition (TOR) : Start Early is a proud member of the National Workforce Registry Alliance, which promotes high quality, coordinated, documented, and accessible career development systems that support a well-trained, well-educated, early childhood workforce. As an NWRA Recognized Training Organization, Start Early has demonstrated a commitment to best practices and continuous quality improvement. State registries may be able to expedite approval processes for training organizations already recognized by the NWRA.  See the states that accept Recognized Training Organizations.
• Illinois Gateways
• Oregon Registry

Visit our online training portal to browse learning experiences or register as an individual for a course or webinar from The Essentials of Home Visiting.

Visit Portal

(The Essentials of Home Visiting) allows rural home visitors to attend trainings and not use excessive time and money traveling. This is so important in the current financial climate. The interactive components … also allow (participants) to form relationships and feel part of … a learning community. State Leader, Illinois

What the Field Is Saying

• 94% of participants report satisfaction and 91% would recommend The Essentials of Home Visiting to a colleague
• 76% of participants report applying what they learned within one week of engaging with a The Essentials of Home Visiting experience

Resources & News

Explore resources from our home visiting experts and learn how The Essentials of Home Visiting can help your team.

Look Closer

Explore the research behind our innovative approach to early childhood education.

Have specific questions about Start Early’s professional development offerings? Reach out directly to our team.

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Early Head Start

The first three years of your child’s life are a few of the most important..

During these important developmental years, your child is experiencing the world for the very first time – and this can shape much of his or her future.

Early Head Start can help you guide your child’s early years as you lay the foundation for your child to be ready to enter Pre-K.

What to expect

Your friendly, professional Home Visitor will empower you to become your child’s first teacher, guiding you as you help your child reach key milestones, from rolling over to saying those special first words.

Through this free program, you’ll receive:

• One-on-one parenting support in the comfort of your home
• FamilyTime gatherings twice a month, where you can develop friendships with other parents
• Ongoing assessments to track key developmental milestones
• Regular assessments to prepare your child for school
• Access to qualified professionals ready to help when you have questions about your child’s nutrition, behavior or development
• Newsletters with tips to help your child reach milestones, activities in the community and more
• Opportunities to participate in the Policy Council, where you can be part of a professional team that makes decisions for the program

If pregnant, we help you prepare for the birth of your child (you can even have a doula, a volunteer who supports you during your final weeks of pregnancy and stays with you – to the extent you’re comfortable – during your baby’s birth!).

Through it all, you’ll nurture and strengthen your child’s first and most important relationship: the one with you.

Who qualifies?

Children under the age of 3 and pregnant women, including teens.

Your family qualifies if you:

• Meet federal poverty guidelines, or
• Receive public assistance (TANF, SSI), or
• Are homeless, or
• Have a child with a disability, or
• Are caring for a child in foster care

We offer this in the following regions:

• Greater Orlando (407) 896-2323
• Greater Space Coast (321) 877-1105

Innovation in action

Strengthening families and nurturing brighter futures.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect, and to educate communities and families about how to prevent it. Sadly, a child is abused or neglected every 48 seconds in America*. And rates of child abuse and neglect are 5x higher for children in families struggling […]

Creating a Better Tomorrow through Literacy

Child literacy is not just about decoding words on a page; it’s a cornerstone of a child’s development and future success. Reading ignites the imagination, expands knowledge, and fosters critical thinking skills from a young age. Reading cultivates empathy and lays the foundation for communication skills. 80% of children living below the poverty threshold fail […]

Expanding the GOOD and Strengthening Families through Advocacy

The 2024 legislative season brings new opportunities for our child advocates to continue CHS’s legacy of GOOD. Since our founding in 1902, our local and state leaders, advocates, team members and volunteers we have worked tirelessly to drive necessary policy changes and support the continuation of successful and effective programs that positively impact the lives […]

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Early Learning

Home visits are effective. here’s why they still make some teachers uneasy., by rachel burstein     feb 19, 2020.

Andy Vinnikov / Shutterstock

This story is part of an EdSurge Research series about the early childhood education workforce.

“Sit near the door. Make sure your car has plenty of gas. Park so you can get out. Don’t wear something that can be a choking hazard like a lanyard.” Macy Jones, the Head Start director for the Alexander County Schools in North Carolina rattles off a list of pointers she gives her staff before they begin their home visits each year. Jones has been concerned about keeping the 37 teachers, assistants and home advocates in her program safe on home visits since she assumed her position seven years ago.

In the past few years, her concerns about staff safety during home visits have increased as she has heard more reports of violent crime in the rural county. “Here we are in 2019, and we don’t know what we’re walking into, or when somebody may show up that came to do harm to somebody in the home. So I’m having conversations now that I never had to have in the ‘80s with folks.” Jones says.

Jones, who attended Head Start herself when she was a child and who has worked at Head Start for over three decades views home visits as critical to the success of both staff and students in the program. But without a full-scale training program and set of comprehensive safety procedures, she isn’t convinced her team should be required to visit the homes of their students. “Head Start really needs to start rethinking the whole home visit requirement,” she says, referencing the federal program that provides high-quality early childhood education to more than one million children from low-income families each year.

For now, Jones lets her staff decide whether to conduct home visits, emphasizing the power of these visits for students. “I tell them they can go somewhere else to meet the parents if they don’t feel safe visiting the family’s home. I say, ‘You don’t have to go...but just remember who doesn’t have an option—those babies we let off the bus every single day. They don’t have an option. So if you can do it, go to that home because those kids’ eyes light up whenever their teachers come see them at their home.’”

Why Conduct Home Visits?

The home visits conducted by Jones’ staff, which occur twice a year, are central to the Head Start model of serving two generations—both children and their families. The visits are mandated by Head Start and complement the work that teachers are doing in the classroom by providing an opportunity for teachers to speak informally with parents or other family members they may not routinely see.

Home visits are also mandated for Head Start’s home-based programs, which typically serve children from birth through age five, including those who are either too young to enroll in preschool, are on a waitlist for a preschool spot or from families who prefer to have their children learn at home. For home-based programs, the weekly home visit of 90 minutes is designed to cultivate parents as teachers. A special role at Head Start, the “parent educator,” visits the homes to introduce parents to the science of early learning and provide specific strategies and activities for advancing children’s brain development. Such intensive home visiting programs also offer a chance for parent educators to identify needed areas of intervention and to identify resources for families.

Head Start isn’t the only preschool program that uses home visits as a way of building community and allowing teachers and programs to help meet students and families where they are—quite literally. Home visits are an increasingly accepted part of early childhood education best practice. In addition to early childhood programs, a handful of K-12 districts are also building home visits into their model. Still, Head Start is the largest early childhood education entity conducting home visits. According to data from the National Head Start Association, Head Start staff members conducted approximately 4.6 million home visits in the 2018-19 school year, including families in both center-based and home-based programs.

There’s good reason for Head Start and other programs to dedicate resources to home visits. Research shows that home visits have a range of benefits, whether they’re designed to supplement preschool attendance or to stimulate learning in the home. Although it looked specifically at elementary school children, a 2015 study from Johns Hopkins University showed that absences declined by about a quarter among students in the Washington, D.C., public schools after a teacher conducted a home visit. The study also found positive correlations between home visits and student achievement. Other studies show that regular home visits from nurses or trained parent educators are correlated with positive effects on children’s neural development, even when those babies and children don’t have child care outside the home.

Home Visits Strengthen Relationships

These outcomes are familiar to Allison Edwards, a lead teacher at a Head Start-affiliated preschool in Tulsa, Okla. Edwards’ preschool is run by CAP Tulsa, a non-profit organization. Edwards says that home visits are important for establishing relationships with her students, especially when they occur early in the school year when children are new to her classroom or to school more generally. “[The kids] want to show us their room. And they want to show us their animals a lot of times, or their favorite toy,” she says.

Equally important, home visits help Edwards better understand the children she teaches so she can develop stronger relationships with them in the classroom. She might meet a grandparent who never comes to school but who is important in a child’s life. A child might show her a favorite toy that Edwards can reference during the school day. She might see bugs and realize that a rash that she was concerned about likely wasn’t a rash at all and that she should make remember to follow-up with family support services.

Edwards agrees with Jones on the value of home visits for children. She laughs as she recounts a recent breakfast conversation among the three year-olds she teaches. Edwards had visited one child at his home the day before and the other preschoolers demanded to know why their teacher hadn’t come to their homes as well. “You have to work through all that with them and say, ‘Well, you know, maybe next time I’ll come to your house. We’ll see,’” says Edwards.

But for all their benefits, home visits can present challenges for early childhood educators. At the very least, Edwards says that it can be “an awkward thing to go visit somebody in their home, especially when we’ve only known them for such a short time.” Many of Edwards’ students come from families who have had negative prior experiences with governmental agencies such as Child Protective Services and who are wary about letting outsiders into their homes. Other parents don’t speak English and Edwards sometimes has to wait on a translator to be available before she is able to schedule those visits.

Safety Concerns

Though there are clear benefits to visiting the homes of students, many early childhood educators have safety concerns. Head Start has some resources available for educators and agencies, but most of these tips , guidance and requirements explore how to build effective relationships and offer sample activities and conversation starters. Those tips that are explicitly designed to address safety concerns are generally simple lists, not training programs or community-building strategies.

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Election latest: PM insists UK is better off than in 2010 - as Farage says he 'doesn't want to know racists'

Rishi Sunak says Labour would cause "irreversible damage within just 100 days of coming to power" led by Sir Keir Starmer. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage faced questions from Trevor Phillips on racist comments made by a Reform canvasser.

Sunday 30 June 2024 13:00, UK

• General Election 2024

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• Deputy PM dismisses election threat from Reform
• Has Labour chosen wealthy pensioners over children in poverty?
• Sunak warns Starmer will cause 'irreversible damage' in 100 days
• Farage says he 'doesn't want to know' racists
• Reform drops three candidates over racism row
• Rob Powell:  With more coverage comes more scrutiny
• Politics at Jack and Sam's : The last weekend
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler   and (earlier)   Niamh Lynch

Election essentials

• Manifesto pledges: Conservatives | Greens | Labour | Lib Dems | Plaid | Reform | SNP
• Trackers:  Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Campaign Heritage:  Memorable moments from elections gone by
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• Read more:  Who is standing down? | Key seats to watch | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency is changing | Guide to election lingo
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By Josephine Franks , news reporter

When the polling stations close at 10pm on 4 July, thousands of ballot counters will be flexing their fingers, ready for what could be a very long night's work.

All the country's votes will be counted - and recounted - by hand.

But what is it like to be one of the people tasked with delivering democracy by dawn?

Sky News spoke to five ballot counters - who between them have worked more than 100 elections - to find out...

Rishi Sunak has said he still believes he will win the general election.

Asked by the BBC whether he thought he would still be prime minister on Friday, he replied: "Yes. I'm fighting very hard and I think people are waking up to the real danger of what a Labour government means."

Polls have almost consistently shown that the Tories are 20 points behind Labour. 

Mr Sunak also hit back at what he claimed was a "declinist narrative" when asked whether it was a mistake to change course on net zero.

BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg pointed out that some people, including the independent climate change committee, believe the UK has lost its status as a leader on the issue.

The broadcaster also said there was "plenty of evidence" that the economic reality of Brexit is that Britain's standing long-term is "more challenging".

Asked whether he thought the shift was a mistake, the prime minister appeared frustrated as he said: "No, and actually you started that question with something that I fundamentally disagree with: 'Because of Brexit, we've lost our standing in the world'."

Told that was not what she had said, he replied: "You said we've lost our standing in the world. That's completely and utterly wrong."

Mr Sunak cited Britain building new nuclear submarines with Australia and the United States, and the negotiation of the Windsor Framework with the EU and support for Ukraine.

He claimed that "people are queuing up to work with us because they respect what we do".

"So I just completely reject that, it's entirely wrong, this kind of declinist narrative that people have of the UK I wholeheartedly reject."

Hats in support of Donald Trump and Union Flag jackets were spotted at the Reform UK rally at the NEC in Birmingham this afternoon.

Dozens of people have gathered to watch Reform UK leader Nigel Farage address the major campaign event, bidding for votes ahead of Thursday's election.

A group of students from the Warwick University Conservatives Association have been condemned for an "utterly abhorrent" video in which they sing a Nazi marching song.

The clip, taken at a chairman's dinner at the Warwick Conservatives Association two weeks ago, shows members singing "Erika" - a song used by the SS and the armed forces of Nazi Germany.

In a statement, the Union of Jewish Students condemned a "blatant and unchallenged support for Nazism".

"The blatant and unchallenged support for Nazism at the Warwick Conservatives Association 'chairman's dinner' is utterly abhorrent," it said. 

"Glorification of the Nazis has no place in our society, especially on campus. It is in no way acceptable and must be widely condemned. 

"We expect swift and decisive action from the University of Warwick and the Conservative Party. Actions must have consequences.”

Additionally, a spokesperson for Warwick University said: "We have been made aware of this video and the allegations surrounding it, which are extremely troubling.

"Behaviour like this is reprehensible and we are disappointed to see our students involved.

“The university is reviewing the material disclosed to us via our reporting service and has notified the Student's Union. 

"We have requested a meeting with the Jewish Society (Jsoc) to assist with our review.”

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

With under a week to go, the Tories and Labour have taken a drop, while support for Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats is on the rise.

Read more about the tracker  here .

Pledges and promises are coming thick and fast from every party as the general election approaches. 

Struggling to keep up with who is saying what?

Here is a summary of where the main parties stand on major issues.

For a more in-depth look at what each party has pledged, scour our  manifesto checker ...

A speech by Nigel Farage was interrupted by a banner showing a smirking Vladimir Putin with the caption "I [heart emoji] Nigel".

Campaign group Led By Donkeys carried out the stunt as the Reform UK leader spoke on stage at the Columbine Centre in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex.

Footage posted on social media showed the banner slowly descending from the ceiling showing the Russian president with his thumb up.

Upon seeing the banner, Mr Farage - the Reform UK candidate for Clacton - said: "Who put that up there? Someone at the Columbine Centre needs to get the sack."

It comes after Mr Farage received widespread criticism for claiming earlier this month that the West and NATO "provoked" Russia's war on Ukraine.

Watch below...

Rishi Sunak was asked if it was a mistake for him to say at the start of the campaign that he has respect for Nigel Farage.

It comes in the wake of controversy over racist comments about Mr Sunak made by a man alleging to be a Reform UK canvasser.

Mr Farage, the leader of Reform UK, claims he is an actor.

Asked about his respect for the politician, Mr Sunak says there are views of his "that he's been right to highlight".

"Where I agree with someone's policies, I'll happily say that."

However, Mr Sunak says again that the racist remarks made about him were "wrong".

"I was keen to call it out."

The prime minister is also asked: "When was the last time you were wrong?"

He jokes: "If you talk to my wife and daughters they would say on a regular basis."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has today insisted that the UK is now a better place to live in than it was when the Conservatives took office in 2010.

He told the BBC: "It's a better place to live than it was in 2010.

"Of course I understand that the last few years have been difficult for everyone."

He cited the pandemic and the war in Ukraine driving up energy bills, insisting "we are now on the right track".

It was put to him that the country has become poorer by many measures since 2010, and public services are worse.

"I just don't accept that," Mr Sunak replied, citing education and saying "our schoolchildren are now the best readers in the Western world".

Former spokesperson for Tony Blair, Alistair Campbell, has speculated that "next week PR [proportional representation] will be on the agenda". 

"Because if you have Labour getting a massive majority with fewer votes than [Jeremy] Corbyn, Lib Dems doing really well with fewer votes and Charles Kennedy, Nick Clegg, and Reform getting millions of votes but a few seats, people are going to go, 'oh, hold on a minute'," he says.

The UK has a first-past-the-post system, where the candidate who gets the most votes in a constituency wins - no matter the size of their vote percentage. 

Proportional representation is a type of system in which the number of seats a party wins more closely corresponds with the percentage of the vote it won. 

Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips has finished now, but we'll be continuing with our live politics coverage here.

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Head Start Policy and Regulations

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Fiscal Year 2025 Monitoring Process for Head Start and Early Head Start Recipients ACF-OHS-IM-24-02

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

ACF Administration for Children and Families

Information Memorandum

To: All Head Start and Early Head Start Recipients

Subject: Fiscal Year 2025 Monitoring Process for Head Start and Early Head Start Recipients

Section 641A of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 (the Act) requires the Office of Head Start (OHS) to implement ongoing monitoring of all programs receiving federal funds.

This Information Memorandum (IM) outlines the OHS monitoring process for fiscal year 2025 (FY25). It describes the types of monitoring reviews that recipients may experience, highlighting Focus Area 1 (FA1), Focus Area 2 (FA2), Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS ® ), Risk Assessment Notification (RAN), and unannounced reviews. 

FY25 Monitoring Review Types and Start Dates

* Monitoring reviews may be conducted with or without prior notification to the recipient. OHS reserves the right to conduct unannounced reviews at any time.

FA1 Reviews

The FA1 review is an opportunity for recipients to describe their approach and plan for providing high-quality services to children and families. It typically occurs in the first or second year of the grant period. This focus area determines if programs are meeting the requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), Uniform Guidance, and Head Start Act. The FA1 informs OHS’ understanding of each recipient’s foundation for program services — staffing structure, program design and governance, education, health and family services, and fiscal infrastructure. The FA1 review also allows OHS to assist recipients in fulfilling application commitments, provide resources to address any identified issues, and support recipients in reaching their goals.

FA2 Reviews

The FA2 review is an opportunity for recipients to demonstrate their implementation of high-quality services to children and families that meet Head Start requirements. It typically occurs in the third or fourth year of a grant period. This focus area broadens OHS’ understanding of each recipient’s performance and determines if programs are meeting the requirements of the HSPPS, Uniform Guidance, and Head Start Act.

CLASS ® Reviews

Section 641A(c)(2)(F) of the Act requires OHS to assess the quality of teacher–child interactions using a valid and reliable observation measure. For the upcoming FY25 monitoring year, OHS will continue to use the 2008 edition of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS ® ) Pre-K Teacher–Child Observation Instrument. Scores from CLASS observations will count toward Designation Renewal System (DRS) determinations using the competitive thresholds established in the Final Rule on DRS Changes .

For FY25, recipients that are scheduled for a CLASS monitoring review will have the option to self-record and submit their own videos (Video Review) or request a traditional on-site review with certified CLASS observers (On-site Review).

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Head Start programs have the option to do a self-review for the CLASS. OHS will transmit a letter to AIAN grant recipients with additional information on this option.

All recipients will have the opportunity to attend information sessions specifically developed to discuss FY25 CLASS options, including a group of sessions convened specifically for American Indian and Alaska Native recipients.

RAN Reviews

OHS conducts Risk Assessment Notification reviews, as necessary, to address child health and safety incidents. They are initiated when OHS needs to gather more information about significant incidents affecting program participants’ health and safety. These reviews have a specific focus on abuse, neglect, inappropriate conduct, inadequate supervision, or unauthorized releases in Head Start programs.

RAN reviews:

• Ensure prompt and accurate reporting of serious incidents
• Investigate contributing program or management factors
• Communicate necessary corrective actions
• Provide feedback to improve program management and prevent future incidents

Other Reviews

Special reviews are conducted, as needed, to explore concerns outside of the typical FA1 or FA2 schedule. OHS reserves the right to conduct unannounced reviews at any time.

Each year, recipients are required to submit an accurate calendar of availability, which is used to schedule monitoring reviews. The availability calendar also gives recipients a way to inform OHS as to when their program is not operational and when children are not in session. Recipients should immediately update their calendars as changes in program availability occur. Please note that OHS has very limited capacity to accommodate requests to reschedule reviews and can only do so under exceptional circumstances.

Monitoring reviews can also be conducted with or without prior notification to the recipient that it will take place.

Communications

Recipients scheduled to receive a monitoring review in FY25 will receive a notification letter 45 calendar days before the start of the event. They can also expect a planning call with their assigned coordinator to discuss their review. During the initial call, recipients should share their program’s current service delivery options. OHS Review Reports are typically issued within 60 calendar days of the monitoring review.

If you have any questions regarding the FY25 monitoring season, please contact your regional office.

Thank you for the work you do on behalf of children and families.

/Khari M. Garvin/

Khari M. Garvin Director Office of Head Start

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