1302.12 Determining, verifying, and documenting eligibility.
Review the HSPPS requirements around determining and documenting families’ eligibility for Head Start program services.
Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance (ERSEA) tasks are some of the most important work performed by Head Start programs. ERSEA governs how programs determine eligibility, enroll children, and track attendance. Discover resources to help programs assess the needs of their communities and recruit the children and families most in need. Explore materials and tools to help programs market their services, and develop and implement selection criteria. Also, find resources to identify community partners and better address community needs.
Review the HSPPS requirements around determining and documenting families’ eligibility for Head Start program services.
Programs must conduct a community assessment of their service area at least once over the five-year grant period. Review this standard for clarity about what should be considered.
This subpart contains requirements and procedures for the eligibility determination, recruitment, selection, enrollment and attendance of children. It also explains the policy concerning the charging of fees.
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.