PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Project Title: Head Start …

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Project Title: Head Start Grantee, York County, Virginia

Grant Number: (03CH010569)

Applicant Name: County of York

Address: 224 Ballard Street Yorktown, VA 23690 Contact Phone Numbers: (757) 890-3888

Email Address:[email protected]

Web Site Address: www.yorkcounty.gov

As a grantee for Head Start, York County seeks to continue to serve 117 low-income children

ages 3 to 5 and their families, including children with disabilities in York County, Virginia. York

County partners with an extensive and growing list of community partners to provide

comprehensive early childhood services to qualified children 3-5 years old and their families.

These services prepare young children for success in school and provide their families with a full

range of integrated and intensive support services to help them develop new futures.

With this grant and a total funding of $1,113,012, York County proposes to:

Provide Head Start services to 117 preschool children ages 3-5 in three facilities

strategically located within the proposed service area:

o Four full-day center-based classrooms five days per week, 6.5 hours per day,

161 days per year

o Three half-day center-based program five days per week, 4.5 hours per day, 161

days per year

Based on York County’s community assessment, there is a growing need for early childhood

and human services to meet the needs of children and families in poverty. York County has a

total population of approximately 65,464 with 3,812 being children under the age of 5. As an

expert in delivering high-quality early childhood education and fully integrated family

services, York County will continue to incorporate staff expertise, community partners, and

family engagement to prepare children for school and beyond.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.yorkcounty.gov/

Head Start Baseline Grant Application

Table of Contents

Project Summary/Abstract…………………………………………………………………….1

Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………….2

1. Goals…………………………………..……………………………………………………..3

2. Service Delivery……………………………………………………………………………14

3. Governance, Organizational, and Management Structures……………………………25

4. Budget and Budget Justification Narrative……………………………………………...29

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PROGRAM GOALS

York County Head Start (YCHS) has continued to work towards achieving outlined

program and school readiness goals. York County Head Start’s program goals are integrated and

implemented across the program’s center-based program option, content area service plans,

teaching tools and methods, and family engagement activities. Data is regularly collected,

reviewed, and analyzed to measure progress towards achieving goals using information from

family and child outcomes, monitoring and program information reports, self-assessment, and

program surveys. York County collects, aggregates, and analyzes this data to evaluate progress

towards goal achievement and to determine program improvements needed regarding

professional development, staff support, program systems, and services for Head Start children

and their families. Progress towards meeting program goals and objectives is routinely shared

with staff, parents, Policy Council, and the Board of Supervisors. As a result of sharing program

information and outcomes reports with stakeholders, no revisions to the two primary program

goals or nine school readiness goals were made. York County’s program and school readiness

goals are the following:

Program Goal 1: York County Head Start program will strengthen parent engagement in

all aspects of the program so that Head Start families will nurture their child’s learning

and development in order for their children to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.

Program Goal 2: Head Start will strengthen transition and mental health/disability

services so that parents are empowered to support and advocate for their child’s learning

and development as they transition to new learning environments.

School Readiness Goal 1: York County Head Start children will demonstrate the ability

to express themselves through imagination and engaging with other peers and adults.

School Readiness Goal 2: York County Head Start children will demonstrate healthy

relationships and interactions with adults and peers and demonstrate a healthy range of

emotional expression. Children will feel comfortable in school, trust their new

environment, make new friends, and feel they are part of a group.

School Readiness Goal 3: York County Head Start children will demonstrate the ability

to use language to engage in communication, conversations and storytelling.

School Readiness Goal 4: York County Head Start children will notice and discriminate

rhyme and demonstrate awareness that language can be broken into words, syllables and

smaller pieces of sound.

School Readiness Goal 5: York County Head Start children will demonstrate alphabet

knowledge through upper case and lower case letter recognition, letter sounds and early

writing skills. Increase their ability to write recognizable letters, especially those in first

name, and use letters that represent sounds.

School Readiness Goal 6: York County Head Start children will understand beginning

math skills including spatial relationships, patterns and using math concepts to gather

information in daily routines.

School Readiness Goal 7: York County Head Start children will increase ability to

identity shapes, their properties, and how objects are related to one another.

School Readiness Goal 8: York County Head Start children will increase physical

development in the area of large muscles for movement, navigation, and balance and

demonstrate fine-motor strength and coordination to manipulate.

School Readiness Goal 9: York County Head Start families will be educated on

preventive health care and demonstrate an understanding of healthy and safe habits.

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Although the program did not make any changes to the primary program and school

readiness goals, YCHS staff worked closely with stakeholders to make necessary revisions to

applicable program goal objectives. The program goals and objectives are listed below. If any

revisions were made to the objective, it is identified as well as the progress that York County is

making towards achieving each program goal objective. If revisions were made to an objective,

the program also reviewed and updated strategies used for tracking and achieving program goals,

if warranted. All revisions made to program goal objectives and strategies were determined as a

result of analyzing data from program outcomes, reports, and feedback from Head Start staff,

families, and governing bodies.

Program Goal #1: York County Head Start program will strengthen parent engagement

in all aspects of the program so that Head Start families will nurture their child’s

learning and development in order for their children to be successful in kindergarten

and beyond.

Obj. 1(A): York County Head Start will enhance the male involvement program as

measured by male involvement in program activities. York County will increase male

involvement by 10 percent each year.

Progress Outcomes Challenges Evidence

YCHS coordinated

the following male

involvement events in

YR 2:

FALL: CDR

presented at “Back 2

School Night” to

encourage male

involvement and

participation in the

24/7 Dad Fatherhood

Program.

WINTER: YCHS

coordinated a

“Tailgating to

FALL: Attendance

was 6% (7/113

families) of the

program’s total

number of families.

However, it was an

increase of 2 (40%)

from last year.

WINTER:

Attendance was 2%

(2/113) of the

-The program

continues to problem

solve to promote

attendance and address

barriers (e.g. time,

location, etc.).

- This year, CDR

determined that it

would include YCHS

in its plans for existing

24/7 Dad Trainings

open to the community

and public due to the

lack of participation.

Evidence used to

gather data to

evaluate progress

towards achieving

goal were the

Event Activity

Sign-In Sheets.

Wellness” event that

used a Super Bowl

theme to promote a

healthy diet and

exercise.

program’s total

number of families

which was a decrease

of 80% from last

year.

Obj. 1(B): York County Head Start families will ensure that parents are involved in program

decision-making activities as measured by an increase in completion of parent surveys at the

beginning and end of the program year by 15 percent each year.

REVISED for YEAR 3

Obj. 1(B): York County Head Start will improve parent engagement in program decision-

making activities as measured by 95% of families indicating that they have been involved in

program decision-making activities.


YCHS revised

Objective 1(B) in

order to focus on

evaluating parents’

awareness and

involvement in

decision-making

activities instead of

focusing solely on the

overall completion of

parent surveys.

YCHS implemented a

system to survey

parents twice a year

(e.g. Fall and Spring).

Total Number of

Parent Surveys

completed:

Fall 2018-2019:

40/115 families

Spring 2018-2019:

83/115 families

Starting in YR 2, YC

incorporated questions

in the bi-annual survey

to evaluate parents’

awareness and

involvement in

program decision-

making activities.

Fall 2019-2020: 91%

of all families

surveyed indicated

that they have been

involved in program

decision-making

activities.

Spring 2019-2020:

Not Yet Available

YCHS is challenged to

continue to promote

and encourage the

engagement of parents

in decision-making

activities. A variety of

strategies will be

implemented based on

the varying needs and

availability of families.

Evidence used to

gather data to

evaluate progress

towards achieving

this goal were

Parent Survey

Outcomes.

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Obj. 1(C): York County Head Start will provide resources and utilize the parenting curriculum

to improve the knowledge of parents regarding child development topics to promote their child’s

school readiness. YC Head Start will increase each of the following by 10% per year:

REVISED for YEAR 3

Obj. 1(C): York County Head Start will provide resources and utilize the parenting curriculum

to improve the knowledge of parents regarding child development topics to promote their child’s

school readiness. YC Head Start will:

a. Increase the percentage of parents who participate in parent curriculum training to include

independent training, one-on-one, and/or group sessions by 10% each school year.

b. Increase the percentage of parents showing an improvement in their knowledge of child

development topics by 10% from the fall survey to the spring survey.


a. The program has

implemented the

Positive Solutions

parenting curriculum.

In doing so, families

were able to obtain

information to assist

them in improving

their parenting skills

and knowledge of

child development

topics. Family

Services staff

facilitated group

sessions and provided

one-on-one training

with parents, per

parent request.

a. FALL 2019-2020:

Attendance was

3.5% (4/113) of the

program’s total

enrollment.

However, it was an

increase of 1 (33%)

from last year.

a. Based on the

varying needs,

dynamics, and

availability of families,

the program plans to

restructure parent

curriculum

implementation. In

YR 1-2, Parent Café

meetings have had

minimum

participation. As a

result, YC will begin

delivering parent

curriculum

information in YR 3

using a variety of

strategies. Strategies

will include offering

trainings at Parent

Committee meetings,

via webinars, and one-

on-one sessions with

family services staff.

a. Parent

Curriculum

Training Sign-In

Sheets were used

to gather data to

evaluate progress

towards achieving

goal.

b. YCHS facilitated

parent curriculum

training sessions. A

part of the training

included a pre-and

post-test to evaluate

whether parent

knowledge improved

after attending

b. YCHS implemented

a system to survey

parents twice a year

(e.g. Fall and Spring).

Starting in Spring

2020, YC will

incorporate questions

in the bi-annual survey

to evaluate if parents

b. YCHS is challenged

to continue to offer

training opportunities

for families using the

parenting curriculum.

Moving forward, YC

will utilize a variety of

strategies to deliver the

parent curriculum

b. Parent

Curriculum

Training Sign-In

Sheets and Parent

Survey Outcomes

were used to

gather data to

evaluate progress

sessions. However,

attendance at parent

training was minimal.

In an effort to educate

more families, the

program plans to

diversify the methods

used for delivering

parent curriculum

training information

to families.

Due to the method

changing for the

delivery of the parent

curriculum starting in

Spring 2020, YC

revised the method

that will be used to

evaluate whether

parents improved

their knowledge of

child development

topics based on parent

curriculum training

information provided

by the program.

felt that their

knowledge improved

due to training

information received

from parent

curriculum materials.

Fall 2019-2020:

100% (4/4) of all

families attending

parent curriculum

training showed an

improvement in their

knowledge on child

development-related

topics.

Spring 2019-2020:

Not Yet Available

information based on it

benefitting children

and families.

towards achieving

goal.

Obj. 1(D): York County Head Start will strengthen parents’ knowledge of child development

through the provision of educational resources and engagement opportunities in order to

increase their involvement in program decision-making related to education services for their

child.

YC Head Start will increase each of the following by 10% per year:

a. Number of parents who attend Education Review Team meetings.

b. Number of parents showing an improvement in their knowledge of child development topics.

c. Number of parents who volunteer in the classroom.

REVISED for YEAR 3

Obj. 1(D): York County Head Start will strengthen parents’ knowledge of child development

through the provision of educational resources and engagement opportunities in order to

increase their involvement in program decision-making related to education services for their

child.

YC Head Start will:

a. Increase the percentage of parents who participate in program education curriculum training

each year.

b. Develop a new method to provide education and resources to families on child development

and education-related topics each program year.

c. Increase the number of parent volunteer hours each subsequent year.

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YCHS continues to

focus on training

parents on education

services and other

child development

topics. In addition,

YC offers

opportunities for

parents to be involved

in the program and in

making decisions

relating to the

program’s school

readiness goals,

curriculum,

assessment, and

education services.

For example, the

program coordinates

Education Review

Team meetings twice

a year.

a. In Year 1-2, the

objective was focused

on measuring the

attendance at

Education Review

team meetings. Based

on parent

participation, the

objective was revised

to measure parent

engagement in

education curriculum

training in which the

program plans to

expand how trainings

are offered to families.

b. The program will

develop new methods

to provide education

and resources to

families on child

development and

education-related

topics.

c. A mechanism was

put in place to track

the total number of

parent volunteer hours

for each classroom

and the program. The

total number of parent

volunteer hours for

Year 1 was 1,815

hours. Year 2 is not

yet available.

a. Parent participation

at Education Review

Team meetings have

been minimal. The

program is challenged

to develop avenues for

parents to be more

engaged in decision-

making activities

relating to education

services.

b. Education Review

Team meetings were

the primary method for

facilitating education

curriculum training.

Based on parents not

attending meetings, the

program will create

other opportunities for

families to learn about

the education

curriculum.

c. None at this time.

Education Review

Team Meeting

Sign-In Sheets and

Classroom

Volunteer Logs

were used to

gather data to

evaluate progress

towards achieving

goal.

** REVISED AND MOVED TO 2(D) for YEAR 3

Obj. 1(E): York County Head Start will develop a communication plan and process that

improves Head Start families’ understanding of the importance of health and nutrition

screenings so that parents will ensure that their children receive needed health, nutrition, and

mental health services. YC Head Start will develop an ongoing data tracking matrix to track

needed services compared to the services received. At the end of year 1, YC HS will have

developed and introduced the monitoring and reporting schedule to all staff. Each subsequent

year, YC Head Start will decrease the delay in obtaining needed screenings and follow up from

families.

Program Goal #2: Head Start will strengthen transition, health, and mental health services so

that parents are empowered to support and advocate for their child’s learning and development

as they transition to new learning environments.

Obj. 2(A): York County Head Start will support parents to become advocates and leaders for

their children within the community by attending transition meetings which empower them with

knowledge regarding their child’s transition as measured by the attendance to transition

meetings, orientation, and trainings.

REVISED for YEAR 3

Obj. 2(A): York County Head Start will effectively coordinate transition meetings, orientation,

and trainings to empower parents to become advocates and leaders for their child as measured

by the percentage of students attending transition meetings and orientation each program year.


YCHS coordinated

events and trainings

to assist children in

making smooth

transitions into their

new learning

environment at Head

Start or York County

School District.

Attendance

Percentage

Bethel Manor Head

Start

Back to School Night:

17%

Orientation: 100%

YCSD Kindergarten

Transition Event: 75%

Yorktown Head

Start


75%

Orientation: 100%

YCSD Kindergarten


Griffin-Yeates

Center


19%

Orientation: 100%

YCSD Kindergarten


The program

continues to overcome

challenges in creating

activities that promote

parent participation

despite barriers e.g.

limited transportation,

location, parent/staff

availability, etc.

Sign-In Sheets were

used to gather data

to evaluate progress

towards achieving

goal.

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Obj. 2(B): York County Head Start will collaborate with the York County School District to

support the program in providing transition services. York County will increase the number of

transition activities coordinated with the LEA by one additional activity each year outside of the

annual classroom transition visit.


YCHS continues to

work closely with

YCSD to plan and

carry out transition

activities.

Transition activities

are being planned for

Year 2 and have not

yet been completed.

YCHS continues to

struggle with

coordinating transition

activities with YCSD

Assistant Principals

especially because

there has been some

changes in principals

and assistant

principals this school

year.

Program Calendar

and Transition Plan

were used to gather

data to evaluate

progress towards

achieving goal.

Obj. 2(C): York County Head will strengthen the coordination of MH/health services and

resources to increase documentation and tracking of the services offered to support children’s

successful transition and readiness for school.

REVISED for YEAR 3

Obj. 2(C): York County Head will strengthen its approaches to address children’s social-

emotional well-being in order to support children’s readiness for school as measured by an

improvement in the social-emotional development of children referred for Mental Health

services.


YCHS has made

strides in

coordinating and

providing MH

services to children.

For instance, the

program added a

provider to assist the

program in

addressing the

individualized needs

of students to include

Therapeutic Day

Treatment services.

In addition, the

program revised

In developing a process

and updating

procedures, the program

determined that there

was not a need to

increase the tracking

and documentation of

MH services. Instead,

there was a need to

strengthen the referral

process. For this reason,

the program will

evaluate the program’s

efforts to address

children’s social-

emotional well-being by

evaluating the benefit of

MH services received as

The program will

research and

determine what tool

will be used to

evaluate

improvements made

by a child receiving

MH services and

supports.

MH Services

Monitoring/Tracking

Tools and ChildPlus

Reports were used to

gather data to

evaluate progress

towards achieving

goal.

policies and

procedures to include

timelines throughout

the MH referral

process.

measured by

improvements in a

child’s social-emotional

development.

****DISCONTINUED YR1-2 Obj. 2(D) See Obj. 2(A)

YR1 Obj. 2(D) York County Head Start will strengthen the process for enrolling and orienting

Head Start families and children entering the program and entering Kindergarten as measured

by the percentage of parents completing orientation documentation prior to the first day of

school in Head Start and the public school. **** PREVIOUSLY Obj. 2(E)- NO REVISIONS WERE MADE TO THE OBJECTIVE

Obj. 2(D): York County Head Start will enhance community partnerships to assist families in

accessing resources to build their advocacy skills and address their social and emotional, mental

health, and/or disability needs. YC HS will increase community partners by one each year.

*Partners will include one partner to assist with providing services to Dual Language Learners.


YCHS has developed

two new partnerships

with community

agencies in an effort

to improve the

services and supports

offered to children

and families.

In Year 2, YCHS

developed new

partnerships with:

1. Elk Hill- Mental

Health Agency that

provides training,

therapeutic day

treatment, and

counseling to children

and families.

2. Student Success

Team was created in

collaboration with the

local Department of

Social Services in

order to provide child

Protective Services

prevention.

None Identified at this

time. Community

Partnerships

Resource List were

used to gather data


towards achieving

goal.

**PREVIOUSLY Objective 1(E)***

Obj. 2(E): York County Head Start will increase the number of children up-to-date on EPSDT

requirements by ensuring that children receive required health services before their first day of

program entry.


YCHS planned and

carried out its first

summer screening

fair in an effort to

Data was analyzed to

determine the number

of students that were

up-to-date at

The program was

challenged to

establish a systematic

way of tracking,

PIR reports,

Summer Screening

Sign-In Sheets, and

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increase the number

of children entering

the program with up-

to-date health

requirements.

enrollment. Data

showed that 51/117

(43.6%) children

entered the program

with up-to-date health

required health

requirements which

decreased the number

of screenings needing

to be completed by the

45/90 day deadlines.

completing, and

monitoring health

screenings in order to

decrease the time that

it took for children to

obtain needed health

screenings. This was

primarily a challenge

based on gathering

data prior to the start

of the school year

which did not take

into account no

shows, child

transitions, and the

program filling vacant

slots through the end

of the summer. As a

result, the program

worked with the

governing body to

revise the goal and

measures used to

assess progress.

ChildPlus Data were

used to gather data


towards achieving

goal.

SERVICE DELIVERY

Service and Recruitment Area

York County is not making any changes to its service and recruitment area. York County

continues to offer few opportunities for affordable quality child care and early childhood education

services for families particularly for families living in poverty. For this reason, York County will

continue to target and serve eligible families residing in York County, Virginia. Most of the

families potentially eligible for Head Start reside in the following zip codes: 23185 and 23690.

These areas will be targeted based on them being identified as low-income neighborhoods as well

as having the highest percentage of residents who are unemployed, living below the federal

poverty level, and/or participate in assistance programs offered through the department of social

services.

Needs of Children and Families

The needs of children and families in York County is varied. Approximately 5% of York

County’s population are living in poverty. The 2019-2020 Community Assessment found that

5.42% of York County’s total population receives SNAP benefits, approximately .56% receives

TANF, and .19% receives childcare assistance. Based on the Community Health Needs

Assessment (CHNA) completed by Surgical Suites of Coastal Virginia, LLC in 2019, families

living in poverty within York County are more apt to having difficulties with their health, stable

housing, healthy food, maintaining steady employment, and accessing health care compared to

individuals living above the poverty level. Regardless of income, the death rates due to

fentanyl/heroin overdose is higher than the state rate in York County. Affordable housing,

transportation, access to healthy food, and affordable childcare were identified as the top four

community assets needing strengthening in York County community. For this reason, York

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County will partner with enrolled families to assist them in overcoming the barriers that are

prevalent in the York County community in an effort to assist them in preparing their

preschooler for school.

Chosen Program Options and Funded Enrollment Slots

The total number of York County School District students that were economically

disadvantaged increased by 4% from the 2018-2019 to the 2019-2020 school, and only

approximately 19% of all 2019-2020 Kindergarteners in York County School District had a

public preschool experience. To assist in offering York County children an opportunity to have a

preschool experience, York County Head Start will keep its program option the same and

maintain its current funded enrollment. York County will provide center-based services to 117

children and their families five (5) day a week for 161 days a year. York County has chosen to

provide center-based services to families because it allows more opportunities to intervene

directly with families by offering an opportunity for program staff to engage parents and provide

individual interventions to families when they come to the center to pick up/drop off their

child(ren) each day. Additionally, it will afford quality learning opportunities to students in a

center-based setting that will adequately promote their social, emotional, physical and cognitive

development.

Centers and Facilities

York County Head Start will not be making any changes to its centers and facilities.

Children enrolled in York County Head Start will attend the center-based program for 161 days

per program year. There will be fifty-two (52) half-day Head Start enrollment slots at the

Griffin-Yeates Center that will operate Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

for 161 days a year. In addition to the half-day slots, YCHS will have eighteen (18) full-day

enrollment slots at the Griffin-Yeates Center, (17) full-day enrollment slots at Yorktown Head

Start, and thirty (30) full-day enrollment slots at Bethel Manor Head Start. Full-day center-based

classrooms will operate Monday through Friday for 6.5 hours per day, 161 days a year. Full-day

classrooms at Bethel Manor will operate 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and full-day classrooms at

Yorktown Elementary and Griffin-Yeates will operate 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Afternoons and

teacher work days will be used for team meetings, professional development training, parent-

teacher conferences, and home visits.

Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance

Children residing in York County will continue to be considered for enrollment based

upon eligibility requirements and a selection criteria. Applications will continue to be accepted

from families throughout the year to ensure that funded enrollment is met and an active waiting

list is maintained. The most vulnerable families will be targeted and considered for enrollment

opportunities first. This includes targeting children whose family income falls below the federal

poverty guidelines based on their family size, children with diagnosed disabilities, children

experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care which is included in the program’s

selection criteria. No changes are being made to the criteria point system other than the

wording that was used to target dual-language learners. Moving forward, the wording that

targets dual-language learners will also target children whose family may have other language

barriers e.g. hearing impairments, speech delays, etc. This change in wording was based on the

Community Assessment along with recommendations from the Policy Council. The change was

reviewed and approved by the Policy Council and Board of Supervisors.

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Education and Child Development

York County will continue to utilize and implement the research-based Teaching Strategies

GOLD (TSG) by Creative Curriculum® to guide education and child development services. The

curriculum is aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. Over the last

grant cycle, the program achieved the goal of having at least 85% of children to meet or exceed

the widely held expectations set by the Teaching Strategies Gold Assessment tool. However,

children scored the lowest in the areas of literacy and mathematics. Data from the Phonological

Awareness Screening indicated that upper-case, lower-case, and letter sounds were the lowest

areas of mastery for 4-year old students enrolled during the 2018-2019 school year. Based on

literacy and mathematics being the weakest areas of development for York County students, the

program plans to continue to support children’s development and implement TSG with fidelity

to achieve its school readiness goals. Additionally, the program plans to do the following to

promote children’s skill acquisition and school readiness:

Conduct formal classroom observations using the Fidelity Tool for Creative

Curriculum for Preschool, ECERS checklist, and CLASS tool at least twice a year.

Offer training and technical support to classroom teaching staff provided by through

the Mentor Coaching program.

Utilize the Coaching to Fidelity Tool by Creative Curriculum to assess the program’s

Mentor Coaching program and approach to providing coaching to staff implementing

the education curriculum.

Consider the feedback and recommendations from the Education Review Team and the

Mentor/Coaching Implementation Team to make program improvements and complete

program planning activities.

Purchase education tools and supplies to expand the program’s library of resources,

theme boxes, and STEAM activities.

Offer professional development opportunities to staff to improve classroom instruction,

teacher-child interactions, and classroom environments.

Implement the use of technology to expand classroom instruction and learning

opportunities that will include updated computer software for classroom computers and

expanded use of IPADS and Smart Boards in the classroom.

Expand the program’s literacy program to include hands-on activities to be completed

at home by parents and students.

Health Services

The needs of Head Start children and their families are assessed during the enrollment

and screening processes as well as throughout the year. Appropriate referrals are made by staff

and staff’s follow-up is continuous. For the coming year, the program will further its efforts to

empower families to be engaged in all aspects of their child’s health. To achieve this, the

program will expand its summer screening fair to include newly enrolled and returning children.

By doing so, it will allow the program to better leverage internal and external resources and

decrease the impact of conducting screenings during classroom instruction time. As a result of

the program implementing summer screening for the 2019-2020 school year, the program had a

31% increase in the number of children from 2018-2019 that were up-to-date on a schedule of

appropriate preventive and primary health care, according to Virginia’s EPSDT schedule for well

child care.

In assessing the program’s mental health services, York County Head Start has seen an

increase in the number of children that would benefit from mental health services and supports.

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As of winter 2019-2020, the increased the number of children referred for mental health services

by 50% from last school year. The program works closely with the mental health contractor to

complete mental health observations on all students and the Devereux Early Childhood

Assessment (DECA) screening tool is used to assess children’s social and emotional

development. In reviewing DECA outcomes for Year 2, the protective factors found to have the

highest area of need for Head Start students were initiative, self-regulation, and

attachment/relationships. It was found that 11% of York County Head Start students had two or

more areas of need within the protective factors that were assessed. In an effort to address the

needs of students in the area of social and emotional development, the program plans to:

Utilize the e-DECA tool to continue to screen each child’s social and emotional

development. However, the program will also use the e-DECA tool to assess the

progress of a child’s social and emotional development at the end of the school

year for all children referred for mental health services. Outcomes of the e-DECA

completed at the end of the school year will be used to assess the child’s progress

and the effectiveness of the mental health services and supports provided to the

child.

Provide parents with a copy of Learning and Development Reports from TSG at

each checkpoint, and provide a copy of strategies obtained from the e-DECA

Assessment and Planning System to engage families in the process of addressing

their child’s social and emotional development if there are identified areas of

concern.

Implement a Yoga Program instructed by the program’s Health Services Program

Administrator that will focus on supporting staff and children’s social and

emotional well-being.

Purchase and utilize components of the Conscious Discipline Curriculum in

classrooms to promote resilience and the social and emotional well-being of

children.

Expand the partnership with an outside mental health provider to provide more

support to the program to include Therapeutic Day Treatment services,

professional development, on-site consultation.

Family and Community Engagement

York County provides continuous, intensive family support services to Head Start

children and families by making the necessary provisions to offer multiple opportunities for

parents to improve their parenting, build healthy parent-child relationships, and advocate for

their child’s education. Family Services staff will continue to implement approaches to assess

family strengths and weaknesses during the intake and goal setting process, provide case

management and family support services to assist families, and offer a variety of family

engagement opportunities. Family Services staff will also continue to partner with parents to

assist them in achieving their goals, accessing community resources, responding to emergency

or crisis situations, and identifying trainings and educational opportunities that may lead them

to career advancement and self-sufficiency.

York County Head Start staff uses the PFCE Framework as a tool to address the

challenges and successes for individual families as they work through the Family Partnership

Agreement process with families. Last school year, enrolled families made strides in improving

identified areas of need for their family. In analyzing the gains that families made during the

2018-2019 school year, it was determined that families made the highest gains in the areas of

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health ( 0.5), financial ( 0.3), and housing ( 0.4). For the three Head Start locations, the total

average gain in all areas of needs assessed were: 1) Griffin-Yeates 2; 2) Bethel Manor Head

Start 1.9; and 3) Yorktown Head Start 2.4. The total average gain in all areas of need assessed

for the program as a whole was 2.1. However, family relationships, mental health, education

and food/clothing had the lowest amount of gains ( 0.1).

To support families in improving their self-sufficiency and addressing areas of need,

York County Head Start will continue to improve family engagement efforts. For the upcoming

grant cycle (YEAR 3), program improvements will include:

The development and implementation of strategies to expand the delivery of the

parenting curriculum tool so that more families can benefit from parenting

curriculum information. Instead of offering the parenting curriculum twice a

year, the program will use a variety of strategies to deliver the Center on the

Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning’s Positive Solutions for

Families parenting modules. For example, the program will develop webinars

and videos using the Positive Solutions for Families parenting modules and offer

whole group sessions during the school year to accommodate and engage

families.

York County will revise its method for selecting and electing Policy Council

members to improve the opportunities that Head Start parents have to participate

in the voting process.

York County Head Start will work towards becoming a more trauma-informed

program by completing a trauma-informed program assessment. Based on the

assessment, the program will develop and implement an action plan to create a

more trauma-informed workforce and environment. As a part of this, the

program will offer training and resources around trauma-informed care for staff

and families.

Services for Children with Disabilities

York County Head Start has continued to provide quality services to meet the needs of

children with disabilities, and it will continue to recruit and enroll children eligible for special

education services with mild, moderate, or severe disabilities. To meet the needs of eligible

children with disabilities, the program partners with the local school system to provide

specialized disability services and dually enroll children in Head Start and the LEA’s four (4)

day a week early education program to provide more comprehensive services. The partnership

with the LEA has been positive and it has been effective in meeting the needs of families. For

this reason, the program will not be making any changes to its delivery of services to children

with disabilities. Partnerships will continue with families, York County Public Schools and

other community agencies in order to make the necessary accommodations, modifications, and

supports appropriate for the child to fully participate in the program.

Transition

Head Start staff will work collaboratively to provide quality transitional services to children

entering the Head Start program and transitioning from the Head Start program. Based on the strides

that the program has made in ensuring that children have the necessary health requirements met, the

program will continue to hold a summer screening fair and parent orientation. As a result of the

program having a summer screening fair and parent orientation for the 2019-2020 school year,

43.6% of enrolled children entered the program with up-to-date health requirements and 100% of

families attended orientation. Coordinating a summer screening fair and parent orientation is

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helpful in assisting students in successfully transition into the program. In addition to focusing on

helping children have a smooth transition into the program, the program also plans to improve

efforts made to assist children in transitioning successfully out of the program. Some of the

program’s efforts will include:

Family Services staff coordinating to meet with families at the Head Start Center or

in the community to help them complete the LEA’s online kindergarten registration

process.

Education Leadership coordinating additional onsite or offsite transition activities in

addition to elementary school visits to prepare students for transition.

Family Services creating family-friendly correspondences and/or videos to distribute

to families at Orientation and Back to School Night that highlights information on

parent engagement & volunteer opportunities.

Services to Enrolled Pregnant Women

York County Head Start is not making any changes to its delivery of services to pregnant

women. York County Head Start will continue to focus efforts on serving the whole family

including supporting pregnant women to determine if any pregnant mothers need assistance in

obtaining healthcare, medical insurance, dental care, mental health, nutrition, or other needed

services.

Transportation

York County continues to work to overcome the challenge of having limited public

transportation in the County. In an effort to assist families and promote regular school

attendance, transportation will be provided by the program and also through contract with the

public school to children living in the mid-section and the upper end of the County. For the

coming year, the program will continue to utilize an evaluation process to determine a family’s

need for transportation services. In doing so, children will be selected for transportation services

using a criteria selection process so those most in need of transportation will be selected for bus

transportation first.

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Governance, Organizational, and Management Structures

Governance Structure

York County Head Start is not making any changes to its governance structure. The

Policy Council and the York County Board of Supervisors (BoS) oversees the delivery of

services to families. The York County BoS is comprised of five elected York County citizens,

one each from the five election districts. BoS serve four-year terms with the Chairman and Vice

Chairman elected to serve for one year. As a result, a new BoS Chair was elected. However, the

program does not anticipate any impact on the program’s governance structure. A representative

from the BoS will continue to be assigned to the Policy Council that will attend Policy Council

meetings and serve as a liaison between the Policy Council and BoS. The BoS Liaison will not

have voting privileges at Policy Council meetings.

The members of the Policy Council are current Head Start parents and community

representatives. The Policy Council is made up of at least fifty-one percent of parents of

currently enrolled children and forty-nine percent community representatives. Each year,

currently enrolled parents are formally selected to serve on the Policy Council. Community

Representatives, members of community agencies and organizations who have an interest or

mission to serve children and families, will be voted to the Policy Council by the parent

representatives. This year, the program will expand its efforts beyond the typical process

used at Back to School Night to solicit Policy Council representation. Instead, families will

be a Policy Council Campaign will be implemented that will occur over a period of time

leading to Back to School Night so that more parents will be encouraged to participate in the

nomination and voting process. Parents selected to serve on Policy Council will continue to

serve up to a five year term; however, they will be re-elected annually. The structure of the

Parent Committee, comprised exclusively of the parents of children currently enrolled in the

program, will also remain the same.

Human Resources Management

The organizational structure for York County Head Start will remain the same. The structure is:

York County makes every effort to recruit and hire qualified culturally and ethnically

diverse staff to ensure appropriate representation of the ethnicities and cultures of enrolled

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families’ that includes bilingual staff. In doing so, York County provides a comprehensive new

hire and orientation process for new employees. Within the process are steps to ensure that

staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers in the program receive appropriate background

checks prior to onboarding. Additionally, York County has a substantial training program to

ensure all employees build and maintain their professional skills.

In reviewing and analyzing the needs of the program, the program plans to add a Work-

As-Required Janitorial staff. In previous years, the program has worked with a contractor to

keep the Griffin-Yeates Center clean and safe. However, there is a need to have additional

support during the program’s core hours. The addition of a Work-As-Required Janitorial staff

will improve workflow and allow office staff to focus on the essential responsibilities of their

position with limited interruption to complete janitorial task. The creation of this position will

further the program’s commitment and priority in maintaining a healthy and safe environment

for students, families, staff, and visitors at all times.

Program Management and Quality Improvement

York County does not have any pending corrective actions from ongoing oversight,

monitoring reviews, or audits. However, York County’s leadership staff conducts ongoing

planning activities, monitoring, and evaluation of its operational systems and outcomes to assess

compliance and progress towards achieving program goals. Data collected through monitoring is

used to formulate program plans and determine needed program improvements. Data such as

ongoing monitoring reports, child and family outcomes, Program Information Reports (PIR),

Community Assessment, Self-Assessment, and Annual Report are used to formulate program

plans and assess progress. For the upcoming grant cycle the program will do the following as a

part of its program improvement plan:

York County Head Start staff will help better prepare children for transition to

Kindergarten by creating and following a Transition Plan. The Education Coordinator

will take the lead on developing a Transition Plan that will outline activities that will

promote children’s readiness and smooth transition to kindergarten so that they are ready

to learn.

York County Head Start will increase parent engagement in decision-making activities by

implementing a new strategy for: delivering parenting curriculum information; providing

education curriculum information; and offering alternative ways for parents to volunteer

for Policy Council and elect Policy Council representatives. Offering a variety of

opportunities for parents to be involved in decision-making activities and engaged in their

child’s education will further support children’s school readiness.

York County Head Start will improve its approaches to address children’s social and

emotional well-being by ensuring that 100% of students referred for mental health

services have improvements in their social and emotional development. It is the

program’s goal that children referred for mental health services will make improvements

in their social and emotional development as a result of the supportive services that the

child receives.

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BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION NARRATIVE

Budget Justification Narrative

York County is requesting $1,113,012 in federal funding to provide Head Start services to

117 low-income, at-risk children age 3–5 years and their families in York County, Virginia. The

budget narrative justification for the upcoming grant cycle for York County is included. The

narrative describes how the costs are derived for each line item of the budget and takes into

consideration the necessity, reasonableness, and allocation of the proposed cost. Below is a

budget line item allocation that addresses each budget area as follows:

SALARIES AND FRINGES- The allocated amount of $955,138 in personnel $647,366 and

fringe benefits $307,722 is designated to support program staff and meet federal and state wage

and compensation laws.

SUPPLIES - The Supplies total is $39,258. This includes expenses listed below.

Office Supplies and Copies- The total number for office supplies and publications is

$6,700. Office supplies provide the York County offices and classrooms with the

materials and resources necessary to ensure the establishment and maintenance of

efficient and effective operating systems.

Child and Family Services Supplies- The total number for classroom supplies is $28,558.

This allocated amount supports all classrooms and family services activities to support

and meet the demanding requirements of Head Start to ensure a quality program.

Food Service Supplies- The total number for food service supplies is $3,000. This

allocated amount will be used to support food services and activities involving food

services.

Other Supplies- The total number for other supplies is $1,000. This allocated amount

supports computer hardware and small equipment needed for quality programming.

CONTRACTUAL- The contractual total is $65,469 is allocated to the

services listed below that supports the program’s efforts.

Health /Disabilities Services- The total number for health and disabilities services is

$6,300. This includes contractual expenses needed for mental health services and CDL

licensing.

Food Services- The total number for food services contractual cost is $15,319. This

includes contractual expenses needed for the food service contract with York County

Division schools for Bethel Manor and Yorktown classrooms as well as cost for adult

family style dining.

Child Transportation Services The total number for child transportation contractual cost

is $35,000. This includes contractual expenses needed for the transportation services

provided by York County Division schools for Griffin-Yeates children.

Other Contracts-The total number for other contractual cost is $8,850. This includes

contractual expenses for daycare licensing fees, printer and copier contracts, ChildPlus,

and Teaching Strategies.

OTHER EXPENSES- The total for other expenses listed below is $37,085 which is allocated

to support the program’s efforts to meet or exceed Head Start program regulations.

Utilities and Telephone-The total number for cost is $3500. This includes cost

associated with phone service and cell phones.

Building and Child Liability Insurance- The total number for building and child

liability insurance cost is $490.

Travel-The total number for travel cost is $2,400. This includes expenses associated

with mileage expenses for staff and parent volunteers.

Substitute- The total number for substitutes cost is $22,650. This includes cost for

work as required substitute teacher assistants, cook, and janitorial staff.

Parent Services-Activity Fund- The total number for parent activities-parent activity

fund is $1,170. This includes parent activity funds for $10 per child.

Publications/Advertising/Printing- The total number for publications, advertising, and

printing is $300. This includes cost for printing materials, business cards, etc.

Training/Staff Development-The total number for training and staff development fund

is $3,425. This includes cost for personnel development.

Dues and Membership- The total number for dues and membership is $1,500. This

includes cost for Directors Association, VA Head Start Association, and National Head

Start Association.

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Postage and Messenger Services- The total number for postage is $500. This includes

cost for mailing correspondences, applications, etc.

Vehicle Maintenance- The total number for vehicle maintenance is $1,150. This

includes cost for the maintenance of buses used for transportation services, field trips,

and activities.

TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE- The total number for training and technical

assistance cost is $16,062. This includes contractual expenses needed for providing staff and

policy council training.

Total Personnel: $955,138 Total Non-Personnel: $141,812

Total Grant Request: $1,096,950 Total T/TA: $16,062

Total Grant: $1,113,012

Total non-federal share is $278,253

Non-federal share includes:

$8,000 (Vehicle Maintenance);

$177,522 (includes $80,214 (Child Health and Nutrition personnel salaries paid

by Head Start Local Funds); $27,022 (Family Services Coordinator salary paid by

Head Start Local Funds); $37,336 (Director salary paid by Head Start Local

Funds); $15,215 (Administrative Assistant I paid by Head Start Local Funds); and

$17,735(Administrative Assistant II paid by Head Start Local Funds));

$86,307 (Fringe Benefits for salaries paid by Head Start Local Funds); and

$6,424 (Computer support, supplies, hardware, data processing equipment paid by

Head Start Local Funds);

York County maintains a comprehensive financial policy that guides the accounting

practices for York County Head Start and other York County departments. The established

policies and procedures outline a system for internal controls, processing accounting

transactions, reporting financial activity and adhering to regulatory compliance. These policies

and procedures are submitted to and approved by York County BoS. Policies are reviewed

annually and ongoing to ensure up-to-date practices. York County has significant internal

control practices outlined in its finance policy which are enforced by management and fiscal

departments, monitored by the Board of Supervisors, and audited by an external audit firm

annually. Internal controls are designed to ensure validity and accuracy within the accounting

system. The various elements of York County’s internal control policies include segregation of

duties, authorization of transactions, secure storage and strong management oversight.

York County utilizes the MUNIS Accounting System to develop, monitor, and maintain

the program’s operating budget. The MUNIS Accounting System is a Cloud-based, password

protected, secured and backed up immediately upon entry of information. MUNIS systems allow

the finance department to accurately forecast, track, monitor and report financial information.

York County has obtained finding-free financial audits from its fiscal audit. In addition, there

are other government entities and private foundations that examine the accounting practices of

funds provided to York County annually and no significant findings have been identified.

York County has a comprehensive Code of Conduct and Ethics policy. The policy is

provided to all employees, discussed with staff during the orientation process, and included in

staff training plans. York County Head Start program has an ethics policy and code of conduct

statement in the employee handbook. Employees must sign the Standards of Conduct each year

and it is filed in the employee’s personnel file which is maintained at the program’s

Administrative office. York County’s culture reinforces ethics practices that include an open

door policy, an anonymous reporting system for concerns/ideas and a whistleblower protection

policy. Training and appropriate separation of duties have been established to minimize the risk

of fraud and to protect the assets of the agency and those with federal interest.

A Grants Coordinator employed by York County Government’s Finance department and

a Management Analyst working within the Community Services Department assists in fiscal

accountability of the Head Start grant. In addition to support by the Grants Coordinator and

Management Analyst, the County’s Accounts Payable and Purchasing Departments oversees

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and monitors the processing of purchase orders, check request, and credit card purchases by

Head Start staff. Although the Director can review the Head Start program’s expenditures and

revenue in the MUNIS system at any time, a monthly budget report is created and provided to

the Director for review by the Management Analyst. The program’s Administrative Assistant,

who works closely with the Management Analyst to track program expenditures on a budget

ledger in order to compares actual activity to the budget on a monthly and year-to-date basis.

Detailed fiscal reports that includes expenditures are provided to the Policy Council and the BoS

on a monthly basis. At the beginning of each program year, training is provided to the

governing bodies to explain the financial and fiscal related reports. Budget reports and

information is also shared regularly with leadership team members.

Financial findings or errors are communicated to the Finance Department as soon as they

are identified in the audit process. Information particular to a finding can be read in audit reports

by agency’s auditor. The Regional Office is provided direct communication in these matters.

York County has an inventory system that identifies all furniture, equipment, vehicles and

building improvements for all items purchased where a single item costs over $5000. Assets

entered into the system that identifies the asset tag number, description, location, vendor, cost,

date of acquisition, and serial number. Inventories are conducted every year by the Finance

Department. Assets cannot be destroyed without obtaining approval from the Finance

department. Vehicle Services inventories all vehicles and Public Works tracks building

improvements.

York County’s food and nutrition program is funded by reimbursements from the Child

and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Reimbursement requests are filed monthly within the

required timeframe. The reimbursement request amount is determined by the number of children

served for each meal option, such as breakfast, snack, or lunch during the service month. All

purchase orders are reviewed and approved by the Head Start Director. Purchase orders are

reviewed by the Head Start Director to confirm adherence to the policy and approved budget.

Once approved, purchase orders are forwarded to the purchasing division for further review and

processing. General supply vendors are selected based on price, quality and ability to deliver.

Invoices to be paid are matched with approved purchase orders and signed delivery

receipts before being processing payment request to Accounts Payable. All vendor statements are

reviewed and reconciled each month and discrepancies addressed. All credit card transactions

are approved by the Head Start Director before a credit card purchase is made. Credit cards may

be used for budget line items. Usage is monitored electronically and receipts for purchases are

turned into the Accounts Payable department once a month. Single purchases made over

$10,000-$50,000 have to be approved by the County Administrator, and purchases over $50,000

have to be approved by the BoS. Vendor pricing is periodically solicited for competitive pricing.

Major purchases for construction, equipment, vehicles, and service contracts over $30,000 will

use a formal bid process. All contracts for service have vendor files that contain a master

agreement, with the current terms and conditions. The master agreement details all of the

particulars in terms of program services and financial requirements.

The grant preparation and budget development process start each year with the Head

Start Leadership Staff, Management Analyst, and Grants Coordinator meeting with the Director

to discuss possible expenditures for the new grant year, including changes in curriculum and

program standards. The detailed line item budgets, as submitted and approved during the grant

process, are entered into the MUNIS accounting system at the beginning of the fiscal and

contract year. Payroll expenses for the new budget is tabulated and provided by Human

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Resources Department to the Grants Specialist; as well as, the Human Resources Department

provides a list of active employees with rate of pay that can be used to project annualized

payroll for the new program year. Prior to presenting the draft budget to governing bodies, the

Director meets with the Policy Council’s Budget Committee to review the draft budget. During

this meeting, committee members are able to provide feedback and input into the budget. A

final draft budget is presented to the Policy Council and BoS Liaison for review and approval

before being submitted to the Community Services Director and the BoS for final review and

approval. All programs are monitored monthly, but near grant year-end, special attention is

made to direct spending or the need for budget adjustments.

York County uses Kronos for processing payroll on a bi-weekly basis. Kronos allows

the county to electronically document employee’s time when they clock in and out daily. The

Kronos Payroll system assigns a time and labor code to each employee that corresponds to the

general ledger accounts and program numbers for labor distribution. A wage comparability study

is conducted approximately every three years. The results are reviewed and discussed with

Management and the BoS. Changes may occur to keep wages in line with local standards.

Changes are made to reflect cost of living adjustments as directed by Head Start funding, the

agency’s annual employee review policy and the county budget. All salary adjustment policies

are approved by the Board of Supervisors and Policy Council.

York County does not have any indirect costs. In-kind contributions goods and services

are valued at actual cost or market value. A receipt voucher form is used to support each

individual contribution. Rates for parents volunteering in the classroom are determined by using

the average starting rate for an assistant teacher. A volunteer log is used to track volunteer

hours, these logs contain: time, date, location, purpose of the activity and signed by volunteer

and center staff. York County is a government entity whose policies, procedures and practices

conform to the best practices in county government and to maintain compliance with CFRs,

OMB Circulars and all other applicable regulatory requirements. Budget amendments, when

necessary, will be prepared, approved by Policy Council and Board of Supervisors, and

submitted to the Regional Office for approval. If unexpected surpluses are identified within

these special funds, communications are initiated with the Regional Office to seek approval for

redirection.

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Project Title: Head Start …

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