Title
Head Start Birth to Five Monthly Report - July 2020
Description
This report provides the Land Use and Livability Subcommittee, which serves as the City of Phoenix Head Start Birth to Five Governing Board, an updated summary of the financial and programmatic status of the Head Start Birth to Five program.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Report
Summary
The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 requires each Head Start Grantee to share information with the Governing Board and Policy Council on the status of the program planning, policies and operations on a monthly basis. To comply with the Act, the Head Start program provides a monthly report on the following areas:
- Fiscal Expenditures.
- Enrollment Reports.
- School Attendance.
- Medical/Dental Exams.
- Program Information Summaries.
Fiscal Expenditures
Attachment A shows year-to-date expenditures for the Fiscal Year 2020-2021. The report includes a break down of each education service provider, the Policy Council, and administrative support budgets. This year the report will include a break down of the funding received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. July marks the first month of the fiscal year and current year expenditures are in-line with the approved budget.
Enrollment Reports
The Office of Head Start requires programs to submit the total number of children enrolled on the last day of each month. At the end of July, enrollment was 373 out of 3,451 available slots.
The 2,963 preschool slots were not in session during July as the school year ended in May. The Early Head Start (EHS) Home-Based and the EHS Child Care Partnership programs provide services year-round. Of the 300 EHS Home-Based program slots, 44 slots have been vacant for more than 30 days. Most of the vacancies are due to children having turned three and are no longer eligible to participate in the program. Many of these children are enrolled in Head Start preschool or development preschool in their local school district. Of the 188 EHS Child Care Partners program slots, 71 have remained vacant for more than 30 days. Parents have withdrawn from the program for a number of reasons such as job loss, parents electing to keep children home with older siblings during summer break, or concerns for their child being exposed to the coronavirus. Additionally, Immanuel Care for Children opened and then immediately closed for ten days due to staff and parents testing positive for COVID-19. Head Start Birth to Five staff continues to recruit new families.
School Attendance
The annual target for attendance set by the Office of Head Start is 85 percent. Attachment B indicates year-to-date attendance through July. The preschool program is not in session during July. As such, there is no year-to-date average. The Child Care Partnership year-to-date average was 25 percent at the end of July. This is below the target of 85 percent. The reduction in attendance was due to staff and parent COVID-19 exposure or testing positive for COVID-19 requiring quarantine.
Medical/Dental Exams
Head Start regulations require all children to have medical and dental exams each year. July starts the new year. Through the end of July a total of 284 medical and 273 dental exams were completed for a total of 557 exams, as illustrated in Attachment C.
Program Information Summaries
Please see Attachment D.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Human Services Department.