National Head Start Association

Legal Advisory Services Webinar: Understanding Head Start and Early Head Start Eligibility

Wednesday June 5, 2013 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time

Presented by Ted Waters, Esq., Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP

ACF's Program Instruction HS-10-02, Income Eligibility for Enrollment, addresses how Head Start employees must determine and verify income eligibility.  The PI states that programs "should provide annual training to employees responsible for determining and verifying income eligibility and to ensure that those employees are fully aware of the consequences established by the grantee for employees who knowingly sign a verification form that contains false information."

This topic is of special importance - in fact, programs continue to receive additional scrutiny about their eligibility practices from Congress, the Government Accountability Office, the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Head Start. Just a few years ago, the GAO did undercover testing and wrote a report on its findings; this summer, the HHS OIG published a report on ACF’s oversight of Head Start eligibility practices.   In the wake of continued Congressional and Departmental scrutiny, now is the time to make sure your staff is determining eligibility correctly.

This session will help your program comply with the often-confusing eligibility rules, and ensure that all of your employees who determine eligibility get needed training.  We'll cover not only the basics of the Head Start eligibility process, but also discuss the consequences of knowing violations of the eligibility rules.  At the end of this webinar, you will be able to:
•Describe what the Head Start eligibility rules are (and, which are mandatory or optional);

•Observe where the pitfalls lie for your program in determining eligibility (including reviewing eligibility documents and signing income verification forms); and

•Verify if your program is in compliance with the requirements of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act, PIs, and the Head Start Policy Clarifications.

Tips for best practices will be included and your questions will be addressed.

Register Now

Who Should Attend: Eligibility Workers, Eligibility Managers, ERSEA staff, Executive Directors, Head Start program Directors, and other senior staff, but all are welcome.