Policy Council consists
of selected classroom parents from all centers and acts
as a governing body for Head Start. The Policy Council
members help plan and develop program goals, approve various
policies, approve hiring and firing decisions, as well as
approve budget and work plans. By seeking ways to
enrich their child’s experience in Head Start, parents
also learn about nutrition, budget management, and the various
concepts of child development and child rearing. Whether
or not you are a representative, all parents have an open
invitation to attend Policy Council meetings. Policy
Council meets a minimum of 10 times per year. The Council
has five ad-hoc committees to deal with specific issues.
Executive
Committee: Primary functions are to set policy
council agendas, design initiatives, and act as the budget
committee to review and approve grants and budget reports.
Personnel
Committee: Previews hiring procedures, policies
and procedures, and establishes roles for parents in screening,
interviewing, and selection of the hiring of employees.
Partnership
Committee: Primary function is to enhance partnerships
between parents and staff through trainings and public
relations, review systems to link parents with various
opportunities available to them, and review enrollment
policy.
Health
Committee: Primary function is to promote healthy,
well-fed children by enhancing nutrition and food services
in centers, assess nutrition and health services in the
community as they affect Head Start families, develop
plans to close gaps in services, and review health and
safety policies for centers.
Education
Committee: Reviews transition plans for children,
develops new and creative ways for parents to be involved
in their child’s education, and reviews program
curricula and child outcome measurement systems.
How
do I become a member of Policy Council?
Parent
Representation
- Each program has a Center Parent Committee. Parent representatives
for Policy Council will be elected from the respective center
parent committees prior to the October Policy Council meeting.
Parent representatives must have child(ren) enrolled in
KVCAP’s Head Start program.
Community
Representation - Any parent or staff person
can submit to the Executive Committee names of representatives
of major agencies and/or community, civic, or professional
organizations, which have a concern for children, and who
can contribute to the program as community representatives
on the council. Policy Council must approve such representation.
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