ERSEA Assessment Tool
This assessment tool will help programs improve ERSEA services by identifying and enrolling the children most in need of Head Start services. The tool can also help programs achieve and maintain full enrollment.
These resources cover how Head Start programs assess the needs of communities and recruit children and families most in need. They also provide insight on which program option best meets the needs of each child and family. Use these resources to develop eligibility services that ensure consistent and appropriate enrollment practices.
For more ERSEA resources, check out recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance.
This assessment tool will help programs improve ERSEA services by identifying and enrolling the children most in need of Head Start services. The tool can also help programs achieve and maintain full enrollment.
Early Head Start programs offer services to infants with significant disabilities and their families. Discover how these services are provided in careful, collaborative planning with families and service providers.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides information that will assist programs in determining the gross income of those families with members in the armed forces. Family service staff will find this information beneficial in determining the eligibility of children of military families for enrollment in the Head Start program.
The HHS Poverty Guidelines are used to determine income eligibility for participation in Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Program staff may refer to these resources when working with families.
Research on continuity of care has found that instability is high with low-income families. Extending eligibility redeterminations to 12 months or more provides financial stability for families. It also gives continuous early care and education for children.
Review the HSPPS requirements around determining and documenting families’ eligibility for Head Start program services.
This subpart includes requirements related to program eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance (ERSEA), as well as standards around suspension, expulsion, and fees.
Programs may use the Head Start Eligibility Verification Form as a component of the eligibility determination record alongside copies of documents or statements deemed necessary to verify eligibility.
The poverty guidelines, which are issued every year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services, are a simplified version of the federal poverty thresholds used for administrative purposes. Grantees often have questions regarding who is eligible for enrollment in Head Start and other social services programs. These frequently asked questions will assist them in understanding how to use the guidelines to assess eligibility and other questions they may have.
Head Start programs offer families support services and the chance to participate as full partners in their child's education. Parents can refer to these FAQs to learn more about the national program.