Embedded Files
Family Support & Record Keeping
Child Records: Family Support staff maintain records including health, immunizations, medical home, emergency contact information, and ongoing assessments used for the planning and implementing curricula for children and tickler files to alert staff and parents to upcoming necessary health plans. Children's health records should be maintained to show progress.
• Family Records: demographics including race and ethnicity, Family Partnership Agreements, goals, services, and outcomes. These will be individualized for each family. Some of the factors identified include education level, family size and income, and demographic data.
• Center Records: outcomes for children in care, center staff meeting minutes, parent meeting minutes, licensing, and monitoring visit outcomes.
• Staff Records: will include all pertinent Human Resource files.
• Fiscal Records: are included under the Fiscal Management System.
• Governance Records: are kept in two primary locations: the Policy Committee binder and the Board of Directors binders (including the Finance Committee).
Data Management Systems
All staff responsible for collecting, recording, and utilizing data will use the appropriate data management system, including but not limited to, Earlybird, CSD CARES and Teaching Strategies Gold. The Recipient system administrator will grant access to these systems. Paper copies of data will be entered into the electronic data tracking system in a timely manner and secured in the appropriate location(s).
All data must be entered into the appropriate system in a timely manner to allow for use in ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement efforts. Supervisors will be responsible for monitoring the timeliness of data entry, and the accuracy of the data entered. A standardized format for data entry will be maintained for each data set, as determined by the appropriate program manager. These expectations will be communicated to all staff collecting and entering data.
Child Data Files (Paper/On-Site)
GHC Staff and Partners are required to use paper files to collect data on the comprehensive services provided to children and families in the program. All paper files containing any personally identifiable information are kept in a locked file cabinet in every classroom and administrative office. Client files may not be left unattended. The following parties have access to records in the file:
• A parent who has custody, foster parent, legal guardian
• Any person or agency that parent has given written consent to look at the child’s file
• Staff assigned to work with a family
• Federal, State, and County officials for audits or reviews
• Any court officials or the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
• Staff with appropriate identification and documentation
Privacy of Child Records
The privacy of child records is required to be maintained through compliance with the agency’s Code of Conduct, internal policies, and external regulations (see requirements and relevant policies section above). In addition, the agency must administer data systems under regulatory compliance with HIPAA. All child files should be kept in locked file cabinets and have access to approved staff, state/federal auditors, and licensing professionals. Electronic data must be password protected, with limited access granted to staff and management depending on needs and appropriateness.
CARES/Earlybird/Salesforce Case Notes
Family Support staff are required to enter two case notes per family, per week.
a. Family Goal Follow-Up
b. Health (dental, physicals)
c. Resources/Referrals (services)
d. Education (referral, transfer, transition)
Use the SOAP method for comprehensive case noting, including:
Family Goal Updates, routine check-ins, and attendance follow-up.
a. Case notes must include pertinent feedback related to the purpose of your contact with each family.
b. Case notes must include the Five Ws (Who, What, When Where, and Why).
c. Case notes must include all follow-up action items.
d. Case notes must include the platform where communication took place with families (in person, via a telephone call, text messages, email exchanges).
e. Paraphrase what the client has told you, when sure of what was stated.
Avoid violating HIPPA regulations by documenting in detail sensitive information regarding medical prognosis and/or court-ordered statuses in detail.
IEPs, IFSPs, and Restraining Order(s).
a. Reference any existing plan (IEP/IFSP) as needed.
b. Refer to the content-specific file for more information.
c. Refer to official court documents for more information.
Avoid documenting any child or parent diagnosis, especially if self-reported, ie:
a. ADD/ADHD
b. Anxiety/Depression
c. OCD behaviors
Personally Identifiable Information Disclosure with Parental Consent
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from a child’s record will not be disclosed without written parental consent.
A parent’s written consent must include the following specifics:
What child records may be disclosed
Explanation of why the records will be disclosed
Identification of the party or class of parties to whom the records will be disclosed
A parent’s written consent must be both signed and dated. An electronic signature will be accepted as long as the person granting approval has been identified and authenticated as the source of the electronic consent.
An explanation must be provided to the parent giving consent that their action is voluntary and may be revoked at any time.
However, revocation is not retroactive so it will not apply to an action that occurred before the consent was revoked.
Personally Identifiable Information Disclosure without Parental Consent but with Parental Notice
The program may disclose PII without parental consent, but with parental notice and opportunity to refuse, to officials at a program, school, or school district in which the child seeks or intends to enroll or where the child is already enrolled that is related to the child’s enrollment of transfer.
However, the program is required to notify the parent of the following:
Disclosure A copy of the PII from the child’s records is to be disclosed in advance if requested
The opportunity to challenge and refuse disclosure of the information in the child’s records.
The program may disclose PII without parental consent, but with parental notice unless:
A court has ordered that neither the subpoena, its contents, nor the information provided in response are disclosed.
The disclosure is in compliance with an ex-prate court order obtained by the United States Attorney General.
A parent is a party to a court proceeding directly involving child abuse and neglect or dependency matters.
Family Assessments and Family Partnership Agreements
At the onset of enrollment, GHC Family Support Specialist conducts family assessment to identify family strengths and needs related to the family engagement outcomes as described in the Head Start Parent Family and Community Engagement Framework, including family well-being, parent-child relationships, families as lifelong educators, families as learners, family engagement in transitions, family connections to peers and the local community, and families as advocates and leaders.
Within 45 days of enrollment or the start of the new program year, family support staff will meet with families to assess:
• housing
• employment
• adult education (including ESL and financial literacy)
• family involvement
• health and nutrition
• other areas of need, such as crisis intervention or other immediate needs
This assessment will ask families to identify areas of strengths and talents, and areas for growth or need, determining a rating for each area. Family support staff will document this assessment and work with families to identify goals based on the assessment. Family support staff will guide families in developing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, and Time-bound) goals to create a family partnership agreement. Family support staff will document this agreement. Family support staff will communicate with and provide resources to families to ensure monthly activity towards the family partnership agreement. Family support staff and families will formally review progress toward goals quarterly.
Existing Plans and Community Resources
Family support staff will connect families to community partners to address specific goals. For example, sites may recommend an apprenticeship program or other employment opportunities for a parent wanting to start a new or different career path. A housing services agency might be the appropriate referral for a family looking for housing. Our community partners include health and mental health providers, social service agencies, workforce development offices, language instruction programs, banks and asset development programs, schools, libraries, and museums.
Practices include:
• Collaborating with families to identify interests, needs, and aspirations related to family engagement outcomes.
• Helping families achieve identified individualized family engagement outcomes.
• Establishing and implementing a family partnership agreement process jointly developed and shared with parents. Staff and families review individual progress, revise goals, evaluate and track whether identified needs and goals are met, and adjust strategies continuously.
• Assign staff and resources based on the urgency and intensity of identified family needs and goals.
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