Site Committee

In Head Start, family members work together with Head Start staff to decide what kind of education and learning experiences children will receive. This is not an easy job. If it is done well, it will require a lot of hard work and good thinking by both family members and staff. There are many important questions which need to be answered. Some of these are:
What do we want children to get out of the Head Start program?
What do parents and other family memebers want to get out of the program?
What is the best way to get information to families about the program?
How do parents and staff share information about the children?

One of the purposes of family involvement in Head Start is to develop the best possible child development and family involvement program. If this is to happen, families and staff must work together and meet regularly. Meetings should happen monthly.

All families enrolled in Head Start are members of the Site Committee. Because of this, meetings will be scheduled at a time and place that is convenient to the greatest number of families.

Policy Council

In Tri-County Head Start Policy Council is a group of present and past Head Start parents and community members who meet regularly throughout the year to help staff in planning and carrying out the program operations in all three counties. Each Site Committee selects representitives to the Policy Council. Some of the Council activities include:
assisting in evaluating and improving the program
planning agency wide parent activities including volunteer participation
participating in the hiring and firing of staff
assisting in developing staff work plans

Central to all of the above is the simple idea that Head Start staff needs parents to help in developing and meeting the goals for children and families. The perspective that parents bring to Policy Council, as well as the actual hours of work they perform are essential to providing a quality Head Start program.