MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN
COUNTY OF ORANGE SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY
AND
ORANGE COUNTY HEAD START, INC.
FOR THE PROVISION OF
HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START SERVICES
FOR CHILDREN AT TUSTIN FAMILY CAMPUS EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND IN SUBSEQUENT PLACEMENT
This non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is between the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) and Orange County Head Start, Inc. (OCHS), a private non-profit corporation. This MOU contains program content and purpose along with specific guidelines for the implementation and administration of Head Start/Early Head Start services to be provided to children ages birth to five (5) years of age residing at the Tustin Family Campus (TFC), foster children referred to the TFC Early Childhood Development Center, and for those children who started the program at TFC and have subsequently been placed in the community.
SSA and OCHS may be referred to individually as “Party” and collectively as “the Parties.” The County of Orange may be referred to as “COUNTY.” The relationship between SSA and OCHS with regard to this MOU is based upon the following:
- Head Start is a national program that provides comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families, with a special focus on helping preschoolers develop the early reading and math skills they need to be successful in school. Orange County Head Start was incorporated in 1979 and currently serves over four thousand (4,000) infants and preschool aged children and families, including children with disabilities, throughout Orange County and Hawaiian Gardens. Head Start programs promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of comprehensive educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services to enrolled children.
As indicated in the fourteenth (14th) Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County, there is a high need for quality early education and care for children, ages birth to five (5) years old. To meet the need in Orange County, OCHS has developed a partnership with SSA to serve the children placed with their mothers at the TFC Mother and Child Residential Homes and children referred to the TFC Early Childhood Development Center. Through community partnerships with local agencies, Orange County Head Start will provide quality child development programs to a high needs population and improve outcomes for children, which will result in greater success in school and life.
- Significant research has documented the benefits of quality early education and care programs for young children, particularly those who have been maltreated. Young children in quality early education and care programs receive support for their fullest growth in cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Children who have been maltreated, or those who have been or are at-risk of exposure to trauma, have been known to have developmental delays in each of these areas. Quality early education and care has been shown to dramatically reverse the impact of maltreatment or trauma and prepare children for school and for life. Further, the TFC Early Childhood Development Center will allow mothers with young children residing in the campus the opportunity to attend job-training classes and to work outside of the TFC.
- SSA funds the provision of family support services to county residents with the goal of preventing child abuse and neglect, and enabling children to reside with their own families. SSA is responsible for the care, case planning, and supervision of the children who enter the child welfare system in Orange County.
- This MOU shall govern the responsibilities of SSA and OCHS in implementing a Head Start/Early Head Start program to improve school readiness for children at TFC and those who transition to foster or relative care.
- This MOU contains the procedural guidelines authorized by the SSA Director and the OCHS Executive Director for their respective employees to follow in providing services.
Page 5 of 23
(CCI1708) (March 17, 2009)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. TERM 5
II. PURPOSE 5
III. POPULATION TO BE SERVED 5
IV. GOAL 5
V. MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF SSA and OCHS 5
VI. SSA RESPONSIBILITIES 6
VII. OCHS RESPONSIBILITIES 6
VIII. SERVICES 7
IX. Program Support Services 10
X. BREACH SANCTIONS 10
XI. PERSONNEL DISCLOSURE 11
XII. EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION 11
XIII. Subcontracts 12
XIV. Staffing 12
XV. TFC Head Start Program Transition Plan 14
XVI. Reporting Requirements 15
XVII. MEETINGS 16
XVIII. FACILITIES 16
XIX. USE OF COUNTY PROPERTY 17
XX. CHILD AND DEPENDENT ADULT/ELDER ABUSE REPORTING 17
XXI. CONFIDENTIALITY 17
XXII. INDEMNIFICATION 18
XXIII. INSURANCE 18
XXIV. RETENTION OF RECORDS 21
XXV. Use of Name 21
XXVI. NOTICE AND CORRESPONDENCE 21
XXVII. RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS 21
XXVIII. TERMINATION 22
XXIX. GENERAL PROVISIONS 22
I. TERM
The term shall commence on August 1, 2009, and end on June 30, 2012, unless terminated in accordance with Paragraph XXVIII of this MOU; however, OCHS shall be obligated to perform such duties as would normally extend beyond this term including, but not limited to, obligations with respect to indemnification, confidentiality, audits, reporting, and accounting.
II. PURPOSE
The purpose of this MOU is to establish procedural guidelines for the implementation and administration of Head Start/Early Head Start services at the TFC Early Childhood Development Center.
III. POPULATION TO BE SERVED
OCHS shall serve up to twenty-four (24) children, ages birth to five (5) years old, at the TFC Early Childhood Development Center.
If more than twenty-four (24) children are referred to the TFC Early Childhood Development Center, the selection of children shall be based on the following enrollment priorities:
· Children residing at the TFC Mother and Child Residential Homes.
· Children residing at the TFC Sibling Residential Homes.
· Children placed under the supervision of SSA and residing in foster care.
· Other children on the Head Start community waiting list.
IV. GOAL
The goal of this MOU is to improve the outcomes for children who are residing with their mothers at the TFC Mother and Child Residential Homes and for foster children referred to the Head Start/Early Head Start program at the TFC Early Childhood Development Center. The Head Start /Early Head Start program shall assist the children to prepare to achieve greater success in school and life.
V. MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF SSA and OCHS
It is further mutually agreed that:
A. SSA will commit reasonable resources on an as-available basis and will freely share their expertise with OCHS to facilitate the activities contemplated hereunder. Further, SSA and OCHS shall each designate a liaison, at no cost to the other Party, to coordinate, communicate and periodically review the activities associated with this MOU.
B. The activities contemplated hereunder are subject to Federal, State, and County regulations, and each Party shall abide by its own agency/institutional regulations and shall respect the mission, goals, and limitations of the other Party.
C. Additional communication between the Parties shall occur as described in Paragraph XXVI, "Notice and Correspondence.”
D. Without changing the overall roles and responsibilities of the Parties as described in Paragraphs VI and VII, the Parties may mutually agree in writing to modify certain procedural aspects to facilitate each Party’s participation at the TFC Early Childhood Development Center.
VI. SSA RESPONSIBILITIES
SSA will:
A. Provide classroom space and play yard area adequate for the number of children in the program that meets the minimum Community Care Licensing (CCL) requirements and other licensing standards for eight (8) infants/toddlers and sixteen (16) preschool children. In accordance with CCL standards, the yard will be divided by a four (4) foot high fence, leaving the appropriate square footage in each play yard for eight (8) infants/toddlers and sixteen (16) preschool age children.
B. Designate one (1) SSA staff, at no cost to the other Party, to act as a liaison for the purpose of identifying children birth, to five (5) years of age, who have entered the child welfare system and refer these children to the Head Start/Early Head Start program at TFC Early Childhood Development Center.
C. Assist OCHS by gathering any pertinent information completed by the TFC Medical Unit and the Health Care Agency (HCA) Behavioral Health Services on the referred children.
D. Work collaboratively with OCHS in obtaining the necessary testing and services for the children served at the TFC Early Childhood Development Center.
VII. OCHS RESPONSIBILITIES
OCHS shall:
A. Utilize federal Head Start funds, and any other funds, as may become available to operate the TFC Head Start/Early Head Start program.
B. Provide broad scope of understanding to SSA TFC staff of the Head Start/Early Head Start program and services.
C. Maintain a separate, complete, and current medical and developmental record for each child.
D. Publish participant data only in aggregate form or in anonymous vignette.
E. Meet all of California Department of Social Services, CCL requirements and Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Head Start Performance Standards and regulations.
F. Provide an orientation and a parent handbook to parents that includes information on the Head Start philosophy and goals, curriculum and services, as well as, a clear description of health exclusions of ill children.
G. Provide parents with an explanation of the Desired Results Development Profile Revised (DRDP-R) and how it will be used to develop the curriculum for each child’s individual needs.
H. Provide parent education on nutrition education, including obesity prevention.
I. Provide two (2) nutritious meals and two (2) snacks, appropriate for the children’s age, that meet or exceed the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines.
J. Maintain emergency supplies of staple nonperishable foods for one (1) week, fresh perishable foods for a minimum of two (2) days, and a minimum of one (1) gallon of water per child for a minimum of five (5) days on the premises.
K. Coordinate services with the HCA mental health staff for children with behavior issues.
L. Assist the mother or relative caregiver on the development of a transitional plan to enroll each child in another subsidized childcare or early education program prior to the termination of services at TFC Early Childhood Development Center.
M. Notify SSA within three (3) business days of any obstacles to a child’s enrollment.
N. Initiate referrals to other services and follow up to ensure that each child and family receive all necessary services.
O. Maintain rules regarding visitation hours.
P. Ensure that, upon entering and departing the TFC Early Childhood Development Center, visitors sign-in/out on the Visitors’ Log.
Q. Be responsible for proper maintenance of all furnishings and equipment.
VIII. SERVICES
OCHS shall provide Infant/Toddler services for children ages birth through two (2) years and Preschool Services for children ages three (3) to five (5) years in separate classrooms. The preschool classroom shall serve a maximum of sixteen (16) children and the infant and toddler classroom shall serve a maximum of eight (8) children. The staff to child ratio, required at all times, shall be one-to-three (1:3) for children ages birth to two (2) years and one-to-eight (1:8) for children ages three (3) to five (5) years.
The program shall be operated Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., year round (closed County holidays), to accommodate the needs of mothers participating at the TFC Mother and Child Residential Homes and/or foster parents, who are working, going to school, or participating in a counseling program.
Services shall be provided as follows:
Early Head Start (Infant/Toddler) Services For Ages Birth –Two (2)Years
A. Curriculum
OCHS shall provide a curriculum to promote developmentally appropriate practices for children. The curriculum’s focus is on children’s interpretation of their world in the context of trusting relationships with adults. Children construct their understanding of their world from their active involvement with people, materials, and ideas. A child’s understanding of their world changes and expands as a result of their day-to-day interactions.
The curriculum focuses on and includes active learning for children; warm supportive adult child interactions; welcoming child oriented physical environment; schedules and routines appropriate for children; daily child observations that guides teachers’ interaction with children, teamwork, and program planning.
Through the entire curriculum, children learn important school readiness and social competency skills, such as learning they are valuable, lovable and capable; trusting and respecting each other; learning to play and learn, learning how to investigate and ask for help; learning how to deal with challenges and proactively problem-solve, and learning about justice and fairness.
B. Developmental Screening
OCHS shall provide a full developmental screening using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Social and Emotional (ASQSE) and the Denver Developmental Screening Test- II twice a year to identify children for developmental delays and individual development. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) shall be utilized for children four (4) months and older. The Denver Developmental Screening Test-II shall be utilized for children younger than four (4) months. The screening shall be completed with the mothers or parents/guardians at conferences and home visits.
C. Individualization
The child’s teacher shall complete Individualizing Notes for each child weekly. The Individual Development Plan shall be developed based on ASQ, Denver Developmental Screening Test- II, Child Observation Records (COR), Home Visits/Parent Conference goals, Anecdotal notes, Interactions, IEP and Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP). The information shall be stored in the individualization binder in a locked cabinet in the classroom.
D. Observations
The teaching staff shall take daily observations and record them on the COR. The observations shall be used to plan activities and assess the children’s individual growth and developmental levels. All documentation shall be kept in the individualization binder in a locked cabinet in the classroom.
E. Classroom Schedule
Children expand their skills and knowledge through a variety of experiences and interactions with other children and adults. Intellectual development is reinforced and extended through opportunities to engage in meaningful activities that stimulate cognitive development. The children shall sleep and eat on their own schedule.
F. Continuity of Care
To promote continuity of care, OCHS shall ensure that children stay in the same classroom with their primary caregivers. Six (6) months prior to the child’s third (3rd) birthday, the transition process to enter the Head Start Preschool shall begin.