SUBJECT: Selection process

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE: ATCAA Head Start has established selection criteria that prioritize all eligible applicants for enrollment.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE:

ATCAA HEAD START, STATE PRESCHOOL AND GENERAL CHILD CARE SELECTION CRITERIA

Each eligible child is prioritized for placement according to the ATCAA Head Start, State Preschool or General Child Care Selection Criteria. Children must have current immunizations, birth certificate, and meet income guidelines. Children must be 3 years of age by December 2^nd of the current year. Priority will be focused on four-year-old children. Children of income eligible parents who are homeless, attending school, working, preparing to work or referred by Child Welfare Services are eligible for enrollment in the full day programs. There may be a family fee for children enrolled in the General Child Care option. Applications for enrollment are accepted throughout the school year.  Full-day programs will give priority to children needing full-day care.

HEAD START:

1. The Parent Policy Council reviews and approves the Child Selection Criteria annually.
2. ATCAA will serve eligible residents of Amador and Tuolumne Counties.
3. A child who is enrolled in a Head Start program out of our area and who moves into Amador or Tuolumne County will be considered a re-enrollee. A child currently enrolled in our program transferring to another center or Home Base within our area will also be considered a re-enrollee. In either case the child will be placed according to the priority criteria. Siblings of currently enrolled children or former Head Start children are not considered re-enrollees. Those siblings are considered new and must go through the application process.
4. ATCAA Head Start ensures that children who are homeless or whose families meet federal poverty guidelines are given priority for enrollment. However, ATCAA may enroll children from families whose income is in the 100 – 130% of poverty range if there are no other children on the waiting list. The number of enrollees in the 100% - 130% of category cannot exceed 35%. Furthermore, ATCAA may enroll an additional 10% of children whose family income exceeds federal poverty level, with no upper income level limit. In any case priority is always given to homeless and the lowest income levels.
5. ATCAA Head Start Priority Criteria:

1.      Re-enrolling children

2.      Four year old children that are homeless (categorically eligible)

3.      Four year old children, income eligible, with disabilities

4.      Four year old children, income eligible

5.      Four year old children, over income, with disabilities

6.      Three year old children that are homeless (categorically eligible)

7.      Three year old children, income eligible, with disabilities

8.      Three year old children, income eligible

9.      Three year old children, over income, with disabilities

10.  Four year old children that are 100 – 130% of the federal poverty guidelines

11.  Three year old child that are 100 – 130% of the federal poverty guidelines

12.  Four year old children, over income

13.  Three year old children, over income

6. Professional Referrals will be evaluated and priority established on an individual basis by the Service Area Managers.
7. Waiting List will be established and prioritized according to the ATCAA Head Start Selection criteria. It will be kept in the main office.
8. Children with Disabilities: ATCAA will maintain 10% of the enrollment opportunities available for children with disabilities. Disabilities include developmental delays, hearing impairments, speech or language impairments, visual impairment, serious emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, and autism, traumatic brain injury which are diagnosed by a professional such as doctor, speech therapist, mental health or social service worker.
9. Application date: The date in which a child is deemed to be eligible for ATCAA Head Start.
10. Enrollment date: The date a family completes the enrollment packet and the child is accepted into the program.
11. Start date: The date a child receives services from ATCAA Head Start.
12. Exit Date: The date the child leaves the program and is no longer receiving services.

GENERAL CHILDCARE ELIGIBILITY AND ADMISSION

1. General Requirements:

1.      Child’s parent(s) must live and/or work in the State of California. Parent(s) must provide street address, post office address, income verification, or statement of intent to live or work in California to satisfy this requirement. This program is for parents who are working, attending school or seeking employment, in job training, homeless or referral from Child Welfare.

2.      Immigration status of the child or the child’s parent(s) will not effect eligibility unless the child or parent is under a final order of deportation from the United States Department of Justice.

3.      Children with exceptional needs must also meet California Education Code regulations for children 3 to 4 years old.

4.      Childcare fees are based on the families’ income and size according to the State Schedule for family fees.

STATE PRESCHOOL ELIGIBILITY AND ADMISSION

1. General Requirements:

1.      Children receive protective services.

2.      Family is income eligible.

3.      Family is homeless.

4.      Family is working, attending school, in job training or seeking work.

2. Admission:

1.      Children receiving protective services through the local county welfare department shall be admitted first.

2.      All children and families not receiving protective services shall be admitted in accordance with family income. Families with the lowest per capita income shall be admitted first. When two (2) or more families have the same income, the family that has been on the waiting list the longest shall be admitted first.

3.      A family that has a child or children enrolled in State Preschool shall be allowed to enroll additional children provided there is an appropriate opening available and the children qualify under the eligibility and admission criteria.  The California Department of Education may grant a waiver to the priorities specified in order to meet the needs of specific populations. Families may be dis-enrolled (required to leave a State Preschool program) in order to reduce service levels due to insufficient funding or inability of State Preschool to operate one or more sites because of reason beyond its control such as earthquakes, floods, or fire.

For further information, see the Service Area Plan.

PPC Approved on 2/15/2008