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Collaborative Governance & GHC
GHC participates in the collaborative governance model with regard to program operations. Collaborative Governance defines the relationship of the governing body (board of directors, board, or board of trustees as applicable), policy and parent committees, and program management. GHC and its CSD department align with the governance structures and processes required for HS/EHS/CCP-funded agencies to ensure board and policy committee program accountability. GHC collaborative governance is designed to ensure that all programs center-based, Home visiting, and partner sites programs have an established governing body and policy group(s) that share responsibilities for overseeing the delivery of high-quality services for children with program management. Both the governing body and policy group(s) have critical and distinct responsibilities in overseeing and decision-making.
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GHC'S Commitment to Program Governance
The governing body, parent policy committee, and parents are involved in program goal development and receive key program information through scheduled meetings, reports, e-mails, with the program and finance committees. These reports provided to the governing body are specifically designed to present required information and any other related program information. Staff presents information and asks the governing body for required approvals. Gads Hill Center ensures that each has ample opportunity to be involved in the agency planning processes.
Gads Hill Center staff provides training on the performance standards to ensure that the governing body and policy council understand and can fulfill their responsibilities under the Head Start Act. More specifically, Gads Hill Center staff provides the governing body with training and technical assistance and orientation which includes training on program performance standards. Trainings cover a variety of topics that include, but are not limited to, eligibility rules, leadership to collaborative governance, fiscal, grant application/budget process, contract scope of services, how to use data for planning and decision making, and annual program self-assessment. These trainings are provided throughout the program year to support members in carrying out their responsibilities. Newly seated board and policy members as well as new hired staff receive the Eligibility Rule/ERSEA training within 90-120 days of seating or hiring. Gads Hill Center has not had any new board members this program year and the new parent policy committee members received their eligibility in September each year. Gads Hill Center staff received their annual Eligibility Rule/ERSEA training during pre-service in August each year.
Early Head Start and Head Start are a standing agenda item for the Board of Directors meetings under the Program Committee report for Early Head Start-CCP. The Policy Committee Chairperson is an active participant in Board committees’ meetings and activities. The Chairperson is responsible for ensuring effective communication between the Board of Directors and the Policy Committee. The Policy Committee Chairperson will be a regular member of the Program Committee of the Board of Directors. The Chairperson is responsible for adding items to the agenda of the Program Committee and leading the discussion surrounding Early Head Start-CCP. The Chairperson is responsible for leading such discussions at the meetings of the Board of Directors as well. The Chairperson is also responsible for delivering reports at meetings with the Program Committee and the Board of Directors with support from staff as needed. When the Policy Committee approves a decision that is related to Early Head Start-CCP programs, the Policy Committee Chairperson will present the information to the Board of Directors Program Committee for discussion. The Program Committee Chairperson will present the information to the Board of Directors for approval.
Program Governance & Regulations
Als a delegate agencies funded through Head Start and Early Head Start that provide early learning programs GHC is expected to have active, functional boards that have legal and fiscal responsibility for the program. Management must engage the board in program and fiscal planning and oversight. It is considered best practice to engage parents in program planning activities.
HS/EHS/CCP-funded agencies have specific requirements associated with engaging parents in policy groups as detailed below. Although PFA/PI-funded agencies are not expected to have active parent councils or committees, they should strive to engage parents in program decisions, as this best practice supports the development of parent/guardians as children’s first teacher and primary advocate.
HS/EHS/CCP-funded agencies must have an active board of directors, policy committee and parent committees. Minutes must be taken for all board and parent meetings. Minutes must be dated, accurate and capture proper approvals. Minutes must be retained and accessible to DFSS staff.
HS/EHS/CCP partner sites must convene monthly parent meetings and have an election process that allows for parents to serve on the agency’s policy committee. These elected parents must be parents or guardians of children enrolled in the HS/EHS/CCP program.
Board and PPC Training Requirements for Governance
Governing Body Requirements & GHC By-laws
Board bylaws should be reviewed annually and/or updated as needed to reflect current board practices and changes. Board bylaws should state the process of amendment for its bylaws. The content of board bylaws should follow parliamentary authority as defined in such resources as the Robert’s Rule of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition or other, as decided by the agency’s board.
At a minimum, board bylaws must:
1. Describe the group’s purpose.
2. Spell out the qualifications and methods of selection of members and term limits.
3. Provide for officers, committees, and meetings, including the quorum.
4. May set up an executive board or board of directors.
5. Describes the process of voting on action items that will support meeting the Head Start requirements that have to be approved by the board.
6. Conflict of interest and disclosure policy language. Updated bylaws must be submitted the Agency’s monitoring team supervisor within 45 calendar days of board approval.
Board Membership Requirements
Membership Each HS/EHS/CCP-funded agency’s board must include, but is not limited to, the following composition of expertise:
1. At least one member with a background and expertise in fiscal management or accounting.
2. At least one member with a background and expertise in early childhood education and development.
3. At least one member who is a licensed attorney familiar with legal issues that come before the governing body/board. Exceptions to the expert membership requirements shall be made for members of a governing body/board when those members oversee a public entity and are selected to their positions with the public entity by public election or political appointment. Governing bodies/boards may use consultants to meet the required areas of expertise; however, consultants may not provide services to both the board and the agency. Additional members shall reflect the community to be served and include current or former Head Start parents.
PFA/PI boards are encouraged to recruit members with these areas of expertise to advise and support in the oversight of the program. vi. Board members cannot:
1. Have a financial conflict of interest with the delegate agency.
2. Receive compensation for serving on the governing board or providing services to the agency.
3. Be employed nor have immediate family members be employed by the delegate agency; follow the nepotism implementations of the agency’s DFSS contract.
Board Duties and responsibilities
Board duties and responsibilities (these standards apply to all DFSS delegate agencies unless otherwise noted):
Agency boards have legal and fiscal responsibility over the program, including responsibility for the administration, oversight, and for ensuring compliance with federal, state and local laws; adhering to the DFSS contractual agreements; and maintaining written standards of conduct and formal procedures for disclosing, addressing, and resolving conflicts of interest. Agency boards are responsible for implementing the early learning program with guidance and feedback from program data, such as community assessments, self-assessment, program goals and objectives, and any other applicable data. Agency boards must establish, review, and update annually, complaint procedures that describe how it will handle complaints brought against the program. These procedures should include any applicable investigation process.
The complaint procedures should:
1. Have a written system that explains where complaints can be sent.
2. Identify to whom the complaint should be addressed at the agency.
3. Allow for the board, and if HS/EHS/CCP-funded, the policy committee, to discuss and provide resolution for the complaint.
4. Resolutions should contain next steps, as applicable, and time frames to respond.
5. Document actions taken and resolutions made.
HS/EHS/CCP-funded agency boards must participate in the development, review, and/or approval of the following major activities, policies, and procedures:
1. Approval of the annual self-assessment, audit, and, as applicable, corrective action plans.
2. Approval of agency progress in carrying out programmatic and fiscal goals.
3. Approval of personnel policies and procedures, any changes to the procedures, including the standards of conduct for staff, contractors, and volunteers, and the criteria for the employment and dismissal of staff.
4. Approve or disapprove the hiring of key staff, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Executive Director, HS/EHS/CCP director, Chief Fiscal Officer (CFO), and other persons in an equivalent position within the agency.
5. Review and approve funding applications and amendments.
6. Review and approve financial and accounting policies and procedures.
7. Develop and update annually procedures for the selection/election of Policy Committee members and the determination of the composition of the Committee to ensure representation of program options, models, and classrooms.
8. Program planning procedures.
9. Review, revise, as needed, and approve annually the criteria for recruitment, selection, and enrollment of children between March-June for the next program year.
10. Data management procedures that ensure the collection, sharing, and use of quality data while protecting the privacy of child records.
11. Review and use the following reports and data, as applicable, to make informed program decisions:
Quarterly child outcomes reports/school readiness data
Program summaries
Program and fiscal monitoring reports
Monthly fiscal reports, including credit card expenditures and in-kind/non-federal share reports
Monthly United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) meal and snack reports
Monthly enrollment and attendance reports
Self-assessment report and related improvement plans/areas for enhancement
Federal Program Information Report (PIR) data
Annual program report
Community assessment
Annual fiscal audit reports and corrective measures, as applicable
Correspondence, as applicable, from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/Office of Head Start (OHS) and DFSS
Human resources reports n. Other reports, as deemed appropriate.
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