ESD 113

Sound to Harbor Head Start/ECEAP

Procedure 508

Page1 of 8

ENROLLING CHILDREN PROCEDURE

Prescreening Families for Eligibility

How to Describe Our Program

Head Start has been in existence nationally since 1965. ECEAP is a state-funded program that is modeled after Head Start and has been in existence since 1986. We are a “full family support program,” which means that in addition to working with children, we also work with their families. We provide a lot of different kinds of services: preschool education and child care; health and dental care education, screenings, and advocacy; parent education and leadership opportunities; family fun events; nutritious meals; transportation, where available; Home Visits for teachers and parents to work together in supporting the child’s growth; and more.

We serve three- and four-year-old children whose birth dates fall into our federal guidelines, and whose families are qualified as “low-income” by our federal guidelines.

Most of our programs are free of charge to eligible families. The only exception to this is our full day programs, which provides extended care. Families at these centers meet site-specific guidelines and receive childcare subsidy through the state. Families make a reduced cost co-payment for services based on their family size and income. Prospective families are always welcome to visit one of our centers.

Filling out the Pre-Enrollment Card

The steps below are for filling out the RE-02 Pre-Enrollment Card.

Let the person calling know that you are going to ask them a few questions that will help you to determine if they are eligible for our services. Explain that there are some requirements for participation that have to do with income, program participation and age. There are some other factors such as what sites are available in their area, transportation issues, etc. that affect whether or not we will be able to serve their family. You can let them know that this is called the “pre-enrollment process” and it will give us a good idea about whether or not they are eligible. If it looks like they are probably eligible, their card will be referred to the most appropriate center and they may be invited to an enrollment appointment. At the enrollment appointment eligibility will be determined formally. If they are eligible and an open slot exists, they will be offered the slot. If no slot exists, they will be put on a waiting list.

Model Preference: FDFY refers to the full day program at the Lacey Center. Duration should be selected for any child who wants the full school day model. PDPY should be used only for those who do not want any other model type. If the parents with take either Duration or PDPY, select duration.

Date: It is important to include the correct date so we can track response time.

Center: Fill this in after you have taken all info and can better determine which center you will refer this family to.

Teacher: Write the anticipated Teacher’s name if it is known.

Staff initials: As the staff member receiving the initial information from the parent/guardian, you must write your initials in case there are questions about the contact.

Eligibility Points: Use the recruitment selection criteria score sheet to determine social service needs of the family. The service points determine which families will be placed at the top of the waiting list based on the needs of the family. The families with the highest points are placed at the top of the appropriate level of the waiting list (refer to Recruitment, Attendance, Eligibility and Selection Criteria Policy 502-P for waiting list level definitions).

Child’s name: Write the name of the child to be enrolled.

Child’s birth date: Write the month, date and year the child was born.

Parental status: State whether the parent is a teen, single, disabled, in a group home, is doing kinship care, foster care, or list other status on that line.

Guardian’s name: Indicate the name of the child’s parent or legal guardian. The person who has called you is not always in that role. You can also list the name of the person advocating for the family if they are to be your contact person, but be sure to note that they are not the parent/guardian. Additional lines are available for two parent families in which both parent’s information is known at this time. Write guardian 1 information in the number 1 boxes. Write guardian 2 information in the number 2 boxes.

Guardian’s birth date: Write the month, date and year parent/guardian was born.

Home address: Write the home’s street address, city and zipcode. Ask if this is the address that the family uses to receive their mail.

Mailing address:If mailing address is different than home address, complete this line.

General area of residence: We ask this question mostly to determine which site the family is closest to for determining if the family is in our service area, and if the child will be serviceable on the bus routes. You can ask for a major cross street, name of the apartment complex, or landmarks that will help you to determine this.

* Priority is given to families who live within the defined service area, or the child is attending child care within the defined service area.

In Catchment Area: Check this box if the home address or child care is in the center’s defined catchment area.

Homeless: Check yes if the child may qualify as homeless.

Email address: Add the parent’s email address if the family would like to use that for communication. If only one parent in a two parent family wants to use an email address, use the correct box for that parent’s email address.

Guardian’s Primary Language: Indicate the primary language of the child’s guardians.

Phone #: Write where the parent/guardian can be reached. Indicate the type of phone and check the text box if the number will accept text messages.

Guardian Employment Status: Indicate if parents are employed full time, part-time, or unemployed. If parents are in school, indicate here if it is full time or part time school.

Guardian Education Level: Check the box if the child has at least one parent who has completed 6th grade or less or does not have a High School diploma or GED.

Describe your housing situation: See the McKinney-Vento Act for guidance.

Re-enrolling Family: Ask if the family was previously enrolled in our program.

Do you receive services from: Read the list of services that make families eligible to see if they are receiving or participating in these programs or services. Frequently people don’t know the name of the program, so write down what the parent/guardian said. If the person is receiving services from DSHS, a college, or Employment Security, refer the pre-enrollment card on to the center that is closest to the family’s home. Ask specifically if they receive child care subsidy.

Served at Another Agency: Indicate if the child was previously served at another Head Start or ECEAP agency, and specify the agency if known.

EHS/Part C ESIT or Other Early Intervention, B-3 Program: Indicate if the child was previously served by an Early Head Start, Part C ESIT, other Early Intervention, or Birth-3 Program, and specify the agency if known.

CurrentCPS involvement: Check the box for answer the guardian gives you.

Current FAR Services: Check the box for the answer the guardian gives you.

PreviousCPS/FAR Services: Check the box for the answer the guardian gives you.

What is your child’s primary language? State the language the child speaks at home.

Lives with: Who lives in the child’s home? If a child is in a 50/50 custody situation where he or she lives with both parents for equal amounts of time, consider the household of the parent who receives child support. If neither parent is providing any child support to the other, count half of each parent’s income and the sum of these two should be used to determine whether or not the child is low income. If both parents have custody of the child for exactly 50% of the time, indicate whom the child lives with in each of the households. This question also helps us to determine whose income we will count.

# People in the family:Family means all persons living in the same household who are: 1) supported by the income of the parent/s or guardian/s of the child enrolling or participating in the program and 2) related to the parent/s or guardians/s by blood, marriage, or adoption or 3) the child’s authorized caregiver. We donot count the income of people who were living in the child’s home during the past 12 months. We only count the income of people presently living in the child’s home who meet the definition.

With shared custody, you count both parents, any biological siblings and stepparents because they are related by marriage in the total household and then divide by 2 for total number in family.

If a child is a foster child and is receiving a grant from the state, that child is from a “family of one” regardless of with whom they live.

Approximate Gross Monthly Incomeor Gross Annual Income: Ask the family what their average gross monthly or annual income is (before taxes). Remember that a family is eligible based on the income they have made in the past 12 months. Refer to the federal income guidelines to look at family size and income per year to determine probable income eligibility. Remember that any family currently receiving a TANF cash grant or SSI stipend is eligible, regardless of previous income. OI (Over-income): Check this box when the family’s income is over 100% Federal Poverty level for their reported family size (or over 110% FPL for ECEAP non-match sites) regardless of other factors related to eligibility.

Sources of Income: Record all sources of income in the last 12 months. Record only the income of those currently living in the home that meets the definition of “family.”

Does your child have a certified IEP? Ask if the child has an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) from a school district. If the family is Over Income, let them know that a copy of the IEP signature page will be needed in order to enroll the child.

Do you suspect a disability? Examples: Does the child have a disability? Is there anything about the child’s development that is of concern?

Child Previously had an IFSP: Ask if the child was previously on an Individual Family Service Plan. An IFSP serves the same purpose as an IEP, but is used for children age 3 and under.

Does your child have any special health needs? Does your child have special health care needs such as asthma, food allergies, medications needed at school, heart problems or any other needs pertaining to health issues? If the answer is yes, specify the issue.

Medical/Dental Insurance: Indicate whether the child is covered by medical or dental insurance.

Medical/Dental Provider: Indicate whether the child has a doctor and/or dentist.

History of Domestic Violence/Substance Abuse: Indicate whether anyone in the child’s family has experienced domestic violence or substance abuse issues.

Family Affected by Mental Illness: Indicate whether anyone in the child’s family is affected by mental health issues, including maternal depression.

Do You Use Full Day Child Care? Is the child currently receiving fullday child care services? This helps us to be aware of possible transition issues. Check the box if the child care location is in the center’s catchment area.

Subsidy: Are the parents receiving child care subsidy monies?

Full-Day, Full-Year Site’s Current Hours:

Lacey Child Care Family Services Center (LCCFSC): Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

LCCFSC’s toddler program: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Can you self-transport? Is the family able to provide transportation for their child, if necessary?

Where did you hear about us? Write down on the pre-enrollment card how the family heard about our services (example: radio, newspaper ad, neighbor, friend, poster or other referral).

Professional referral: Documentation (letter or referral) from any agency providing services for the family that identifies placement with Head Start or ECEAP as an appropriate intervention. In order for a family to have received a professional referral, a letter of referral or verbal contact with the referring agency is required. Otherwise, it is considered a community referral.

Community referral: Any referral from a community agency such as WIC, DASA, domestic violence program, Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, parent child assistance program, child care facility. (Refer to Community Resource Directory for list of other community resource agencies.)

WCE appointment date and Dental appointment date: Date of the child’s well child exam (WCE). If unknown or the exam is more than 12 months old (6 months for dental exams in an ECEAP funded center) - or will be expired prior to the first potential day of enrollment - remind the family that an up-to-date exam is part of the requirements of Head Start and ECEAP. Encourage the family to make an appointment as soon as possible. If the exam is up-to-date, tell the family to have documentation of the exam from the doctor’s office if called in for enrollment.

Imms up-to-date? Are the immunizations up-to-date for the child’s age? If not, why not?

Attempted Contacts: Note when calls are made, messages left, etc.

Interpreter Required: Indicate if the guardian’s require an interpreter to communicate in English.

Comments: Other important information that will help us in working with the family. Use the back side, if needed.

Staff Concern: Indicate if the staff person taking the pre-enrollment card has a concern regarding the child or family, other than those risk factors already listed, which would indicate the child or family would benefit from enrollment in the program.

Supervisory Concern: Indicate if the center director, Area Coordinator, or other administrator has a concern regarding the child or family, other than those risk factors already listed, which would indicate the child or family would benefit from enrollment in the program.

Registration Clinic appointment: Date scheduled to come in and fill out paperwork.

Determining Age Eligibility

Children are eligible for part-time programs if they have turned three or four by August 31 preceding the school year for which they are enrolled. For current program year age guidelines, refer to the RE-03e form.

Children who turn three after August 31 may be considered for enrollment mid-year (for full-day centers and centers that have a limited center waiting list).

Each child’s age is verified by looking at a birth certificate, copy of birth certificate, DSHS paperwork with child’s birthdate, court papers, hospital certificate of birth, health insurance card with date of birth, or Child Profile Immunizations copy. The program is authorized to enroll up to 10% of the authorized enrollment slots to families who are “over income,” and have been identified as having significant social and educational needs. Decisions on over-income enrollment are made in consultation with the Program Data Coordinator or designee.

General Enrollment Answers:

Parents of children who were enrolled in another Head Start Program but dropped out because the family relocated have to re-do their family’s income and eligibility within the new Head Start program.

If you enrolled a child in our program and the child leaves for several months and then wants to return during that same program year, previous income can be used. If wanting to enroll the immediately succeeding program year, income would need to be re-verified before re-enrolling the child.

Determining Income Eligibility

Refer to the RE-03e for most recent poverty guidelines and age-eligibility guideline.

What is Counted as Income?

Income means total cash received before taxes from all sources listed below:

  • All money wages or salary before deductions. (For employees who receive tips such as waiters, we consider the tip income percentage that is claimed for tax purposes.)
  • All military income including base pay an all allowances except for those relating to hostile fire or imminent danger (listed as HFP/IDP, HFP-L, or IDP on a Military Leave and Earnings Statement) and housing allowances (listed as BAH or OHA on a Military Leave and Earnings Statement).
  • Regular payments from Social Security income or Railroad Retirement income, private pensions, government employee pensions (including military retirement pay).
  • Net income from all types of self-employment.
  • Regular unemployment payments, L & I payments, strike benefits from union funds, Veteran’s benefits, public assistance (TANF), SSI (Supplemental Security Income), Emergency Assistance money payments, state funded General Assistance, or general relief money payments, training stipends (such as AmeriCorps or other work programs), and regular insurance or annuity payments.
  • Alimony payments, child support payments, military family allotments or other regular support from an absent family member or someone not living in the home.
  • College or university scholarships grants, fellowships and assistantships (we count only the portions that are received in cash by the student, not the “in kind” support that goes directly to the school).
  • Dividends, interest, net rental income, net royalties, and periodic receipts from estates or trusts; and net gambling or lottery winnings.
We Do Not Count:
  • Capital gains.
  • Any assets drawn down as withdrawals from a bank, the sale of property, a house or car.
  • Tax refunds, gifts, loans, or lump sum inheritances, one time insurance payments or compensation for injury.
  • Grants or allowances paid directly to an entity to procure goods or services on behalf of a client (e.g., some G.I. Bill allowances for housing may be paid directly to the collector instead of being issued to the client to pay the collector).
  • Non-cash benefits (in-kind), such as: employer or union paid portion of health insurance or other employee fringe benefits, food or housing received in lieu of wages.
  • The value of in-kind assistance from federal and state subsidy programs such as: Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, school lunches, housing assistance, and childcare subsidy.
Income Verification

Income verification includes a review of the documentation of income received during the last twelve months or for the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which the application for enrollment is made. Verification is completed by gathering documents, calculating the total income on the RE-03b2 Income Calculation Summary,and documenting on the RE-03b Family Income/Eligibility Verification sheet, and comparing the income to the income guidelinesor conditions for Head Start and ECEAP income eligibility.