(a) Early Head Start and Head Start grantee and delegate agencies must comply with the requirements of this part in accordance with the effective date set forth in 45 CFR 1304.2.

(b) If the responsible HHS official, as a result of information obtained from a review of an Early Head Start or a Head Start grantee, determines that the grantee has one or more deficiencies, as defined in § 1304.3(a)(6) of this part, and therefore also is in violation of the minimum requirements as defined in § 1304.3(a)(14) of this part, he or she will notify the grantee promptly, in writing, of the finding, identifying the deficiencies to be corrected and, with respect to each identified deficiency, will inform the grantee that it must correct the deficiency either immediately or pursuant to a Quality Improvement Plan.

(c) An Early Head Start or Head Start grantee with one or more deficiencies to be corrected under a Quality Improvement Plan must submit to the responsible HHS official a Quality Improvement Plan specifying, for each identified deficiency, the actions that the grantee will take to correct the deficiency and the timeframe within which it will be corrected. In no case can the timeframes proposed in the Quality Improvement Plan exceed one year from the date that the grantee received official notification of the deficiencies to be corrected.

(d) Within 30 days of the receipt of the Quality Improvement Plan, the responsible HHS official will notify the Early Head Start or Head Start grantee, in writing, of the Plan's approval or specify the reasons why the Plan is disapproved.

(e) If the Quality Improvement Plan is disapproved, the Early Head Start or Head Start grantee must submit a revised Quality Improvement Plan, making the changes necessary to address the reasons that the initial Plan was disapproved.

(f) If an Early Head Start or Head Start grantee fails to correct a deficiency, either immediately, or within the timeframe specified in the approved Quality Improvement Plan, the responsible HHS official will issue a letter of termination or denial of refunding. Head Start grantees may appeal terminations and denials of refunding under 45 CFR part 1303, while Early Head Start grantees may appeal terminations and denials of refunding only under 45 CFR part 74 or part 92. A deficiency that is not timely corrected shall be a material failure of a grantee to comply with the terms and conditions of an award within the meaning of 45 CFR 74.61(a)(1), 45 CFR 74.62 and 45 CFR 92.43(a).