5.5.13
Policy Council
Policy Council (PC) is an elected group of Head Start parents and community members.
The PC provides a formal way for parents and guardians to be involved in Shasta Head Start (SHS) program planning and decision making.
In partnership with the SHS Board of Directors and SHS staff, the PC has a vital leadership role as representatives of their program locations. They receive information and training to share with parents at their centers and share parents’ concerns and ideas with the SHS administration.
PC membership consists of a parent representative (Rep) from each SHS Center and an alternate (Alt) who will the attend the PC meetings when the Representative cannot. The Rep and Alt are elected by parents at their Parent Center Committee Meeting (PCCM) in the beginning of the program year. In addition to elected parents, representatives from community agencies within the SHS service area who have been elected by the PC, will attend monthly PC meetings. The PC must be at least 51% elected parents. The following is a breakdown of PC Reps/Alts needed by center or program option.
| PC Representatives and Alternates Needed by Center or Program Option | ||||
| Representative Needed | Alternates Needed | |||
| Program | Head Start | Early Head Start | Head Start | Early Head Start |
| Anderson Park | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Birchwood | 1 | 1 | ||
| Burney | 1 | 1 | ||
| Cottonwood | 1 | 1 | ||
| Countryside | 1 | 1 | ||
| FCC | 1 | 1 | ||
| Intermountain HB | 1 | 1 | ||
| Juniper | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lake | 1 | 1 | ||
| Mary Street | 1 | 1 | ||
| McArthur | 1 | 1 | ||
| Mt Shasta | 1 | 1 | ||
| North County HB | 1 | 1 | ||
| Oak View | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Shasta College | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Shasta Lake | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Weaverville | 1 | 1 | ||
| Weed | 1 | 1 | ||
| Yreka | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
The Role of Policy Council is…
- To attend regularly, to participate, to contribute, and to learn
- To attend monthly meetings and receive information and program updates
- To report meeting information back to their local Parent Center Committee Meeting (PCCM)
- To receive training in program areas such as health, child development, special needs, nutrition, family services, advocacy, and program governance
- To review, advise, and approve program goals and objectives, policies and procedures, program activities, and program funding proposals
- To assist in recruitment of children/families by word of mouth or distribution of flyers
- Share PC information with other parents at the PCCM
- If you resign, let us know so we can fill your spot
PC Reps and Alts will be elected at the August/September PCCM. There is a video demonstrating an actual PC meeting, how one runs, etc., located on the portal (PC Video). Family Workers (FW) and Home Visitors (HV) must watch the video prior to encouraging parents to run for PC.
Family Services staff play an important role in recruiting parents to participate on the PC. If you feel a parent would be a good candidate for PC (i.e., is engaged in their child’s education, has an eye for detail, is on time, can juggle many tasks at once, etc) encourage them to run. Prior to the PCCM, the Family Services staff will provide interested parents/guardians with the Policy Council Nomination Form. Parent/guardian will complete and return the nomination form to the Family Services staff. Based on the number of interested parents/guardians, an election will take place during the PCCM.
Once the Representative and Alternate have been elected, Family Service staff will scan the Policy Council Nomination form of the elected PC members to the Family Services Coordinator.
If you cannot identify an interested parent to run for PC, or you only have one interested party for each role, continue trying to recruit representatives.
FW/HV will remind their Rep/Alt of the monthly PC meeting, determine if they need transportation and provide the transportation when possible. FW/HVs and Family Services Coordinator will work together to ensure each center has either a Representative or Alternate in attendance at each meeting.
Parent Reimbursements
To support parent participation in PC, reimbursements for mileage and childcare will be provided. Childcare will be paid at the rate of $10 per hour. Mileage will be reimbursed at the current agency reimbursement rate. Parents must submit a signed Parent Fund Reimbursement Request form to the Family Services Coordinator to receive reimbursement. The parent must also have the person who provided the childcare sign the form when requesting childcare reimbursement. The check will be mailed directly to the parent in the following billing cycle.
RESOURCES
Parent Fund Reimbursement Request
Policy Council Nomination Form
Policy Council Job Description