Title
Head Start Birth to Five Monthly Report - July 2022
Description
This report provides the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee, which serves as the City of Phoenix Head Start Birth to Five Governing Board, with an updated summary of the Head Start Birth to Five Program's financial and programmatic status.
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 monthly information with the Governing Board and Policy Council on program planning, policies and operations. In compliance with the Act, the Head Start program provides a monthly report on the following areas:
- Fiscal expenditures;
- Enrollment reports;
- School attendance;
- Medical/dental exams; and
- Program information summaries.
Fiscal Expenditures
Attachment A shows year-to-date expenditures for the Fiscal Year 2022-23, which began July 1, 2022. The reports include a breakdown of each Education Service Provider, the Policy Council, Child Care Partnership, and administrative support budget. The current year's expenditures align with the approved budget.
Enrollment Reports
The Office of Head Start requires programs to report the total number of children enrolled on the last day of each month. At the end of July, overall enrollment for Early Head Start program was 271 out of 488 available slots. Preschool is not in session during the month of July; programming will resume in August when the new school year begins.
The Early Head Start Home-Based program provides year-round in-person home visitation. At the end of July, 151 slots out of 300 were filled. Many vacancies are due to children turning three and becoming ineligible for the program. When children are no longer age eligible, Early Head Start Caseworkers assist parents in identifying preschool options, which can include Head Start for income-eligible families, private preschools, or local school district options.
The Early Head Start-Child Care Partners provide full-day, year-round in-person childcare. At the end of July, 120 slots out of 188 were filled. During the summer months, many parents opt to keep their younger children at home with older siblings who are on summer break.
Recruitment efforts continue through social media messaging, billboards, community events, and bus shelters. Currently, 58 percent of the preschool slots are filled with children who have been accepted for the 2022-2023 school year.
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 the end of July. The preschool program is not in session during July; therefore, no attendance data is available. The Child Care Partnership's year-to-date average was 44 percent at the end of July, which is below the target of 85 percent. The low percentage is due to families taking vacations, some parents leaving their children at home with older siblings on summer break, and children being sick with colds and COVID.
Medical/Dental Exams
Head Start regulations require all children to have medical and dental exams annually. Through the end of July, 257 medical and 244 dental exams were completed, totaling 501 exams, as illustrated in Attachment C.
Program Information Summaries
Please see Attachment D.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Human Services Department.