Coordinates educational and training programs for Head Start agencies and personnel. Assists in enrollment and attendance, parent involvement, social services, curriculum, food and nutrition, health and handicapped services. Provides technical assistance in planning and carrying out facility renovation, expansion, and new construction. City-wide Head Start Policy Council Head Start policy mandates there be effective parent participation in the process of making decisions about the nature and operation of the Head Start program. As the Grantee Agency, DHS fulfills the mandate by maintaining the city-wide Head Start Policy Council, both as the formal structure for this process and as the clearinghouse for information about current developments.
Membership includes one parent per delegate agency.
For delegate agencies with funded enrollment in excess of 1,000, the ratio is one parent representative per thousand. Also included are fifteen community representatives, some of whom are former parent representatives. The Head Start Policy Council operates on a twelve-month basis from January through December. DHS serves as a facilitator for the operations of the Policy Council. Departmental staff play a supportive role in the functions of the Council.