6.4.1.2


EHS 2.5 Year Transition

Transition planning for a child leaving an Early Head Start program and enrolling in a Head Start program will begin by the time the child is 2.5 years of age:

  • Family Service staff determines which children will be turning 2.5 years of age (30 months) using the Child Plus Organizer.
  • 2 months prior to a child turning 2.5 years of age (30 months), the Family Service staff and Child Development staff review the child file and fill in the Individual Transition Plan (ITP) | Spanish, including:
    • Family profile and goals.
    • Child strengths and development.
    • Health status.
    • Ideas for easing the transition.
  • If the child has an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), the Family Service staff contacts the Disabilities Department to obtain the IFSP 2.5 purple advocacy folder in order to review with and distribute to the family when the child turns 2.5 years of age (30 months). This should be documented on the orange child file cover sheet.
  • 1 month prior to the child turning 2.5 years of age (30 months), the Family Service staff schedules a transition meeting with the Child Development staff and the parent(s). An interpreter is also included in this meeting, if required.
  • Prior to the scheduled ITP meeting, Family Service staff determines if the child will be age eligible to transition to the Head Start program in the next program year based on the September 1 cutoff date. This will determine the required activities for the action plan:
    • Eligible to transition to Head Start – Re-verify eligibility and identify appropriate site/program options to visit with the family.
    • Not age eligible to transition to Head Start and not age eligible to continue in current center – Identify appropriate site/program options and visit with the family.
    • Not age eligible to transition to Head Start, but age eligible to continue in current center – continue enrollment in current center for the upcoming program year.
  • No later than the day that the child turns 2.5 (30 months), Family Service staff and Child Development staff meet with the parent(s) to share the information on the ITP [Link to document: Individual Transition Plan] and gather additional information. The staff partner with the parent(s) to develop the action plan for the transition. The Family Service staff lists the specific transition activities that will occur in the classroom on the ITP.
  • The Family Service staff enters the ITP completion date in the Child Plus – Heath Module within 5 days of completion.
  • The Family Service staff contacts potential receiving Family Service staff and ensures that the child is placed on the appropriate wait list
  • The Family Service staff completes the “Transition To” field in Child Plus based on the information in the ITP no later than March 31 if it is the end of the year.
  • The Family Service staff and Child Development staff follow the action plan with the parent(s), providing additional resources as required.