Who is Eligible?

In order to fulfill Head Start’s performance standard, each program must have a system to identify, recruit, select and enroll children.

Buchanan County Head Start’s regulations provide the cornerstone of their commitment to serve the population mandated by the legislation.

The program recruits and provides services to children and uses the following criteria for recruitment purposes. Children with disabilities are served by Head Start and are eligible for enrollment.

Community Needs Assessment
Department of Social Services
Local Pediatricians
Local School System
Door to door canvassing
Head Start Parents
Advertisements (Newspaper, Radio etc…)
Organizations devoted to specific disability conditions
Parent/Staff referrals
Community Agencies

To provide an accurate diagnosis of a disability condition and substantiate that the agency is providing services to disability children. Buchanan County Head Start enlists the services of professional personnel who have a license and/or certificate from state and/or professional associations.

Buchanan County Head Start serves children between the ages of three and the compulsory school age of this state. Head Start does not provide services to school age children. If a school age child (one who is eligible for kindergarten) is referred to Head Start by the public school system or a medical professional, he or she can be considered for enrollment in Head Start.

Family address, income information, number of members in the family and signatures of family members and the recruiter.
Forms must indicate the year, month and the date child was born.
Income verification, copy of payroll check, W-2, tax forms 1040, written statements from employers’ or public assistance documents.
Immunization record

Recruitment Schedule

A full scale recruitment project will be implemented March 1st of each calendar year (applications will be accepted and processed as received during the program year). All staff will be responsible for taking applications.

During the 1st week March, recruitment advertisements will be placed in the local newspaper, updated posters placed in area business (physicians’ offices etc.), and radio announcements will all be a part of the recruitment process.

Income Eligibility

The term “income” means gross cash income and includes earned income military income, (including pay and allowances) Veterans’ benefits, social security benefits, unemployment compensation, and public assistance benefits, with respect to a child in foster care, Family income is the amount paid to the foster family on behalf of the child by a public or private agency. Buchanan County Head Start will follow the poverty guidelines distributed by the national Head Start Office. These poverty guidelines are updated annually and are submitted to the Head Start Programs by the end of February. Families who qualify for public assistance are eligible for Head Start Programs even if the assistance level exceeds the guidelines.

Waiting List

A written waiting list identifying eligible children is composed at the beginning of each year (new eligible enrollees are added to the list as new applications are received and processed. The responsibility for selection criteria when determining eligible children within the applicable regulations lies with the director, family service manager and the Policy Council. The enrollment of the Buchanan County Head Start shall be made up of 90% within income guidelines, 10% disability, and no more than 10% of the enrollment can be over income. (Disability children can be included in the 10% over income).

The determination of eligibility is valid for the year such eligibility was determined and for the next program year. Regardless in change of income, the second year, eligibility is determined by the need of the applicants. Children eligible for a second year are included in the group of newly recruited children.

Vacancies

As vacancies occur in the program, they must be filled as soon as possible. The waiting list of eligible children can be used as a first resource. The waiting list of eligible enrollees should be broken down into districts and must list the families’ names, number in the family, disabilities if any, and family income. All vacancies must be filled within 30 days.

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