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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
210 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO CONDUCT A MANAGEMENT, OPERATIONAL, AND FINANCIAL REVIEW OF HAWAII'S EARLY HEAD START AND HEAD START FUNDING RECIPIENTS TO IMPROVE EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND TO OPTIMIZE FUNDING RESOURCES.
WHEREAS, Early Head Start and Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve low-income children and children with disabilities from birth to age five; and
WHEREAS, as recipients of federal and/or state funds, Head Start and Early Head Start grantees are charged with the responsibility of providing services to low-income children and children with disabilities in accordance with the federal Head Start Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, and the Hawaii Revised Statutes; and
WHEREAS, in its 2006 report to the Legislature, the Temporary Early Childhood Education Taskforce notes that the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families Head Start Bureau, awarded a grant to the State to:
(1) Build early childhood systems and enhance access to comprehensive services and support for all low-income children;
(2) Encourage widespread collaboration between Head Start and other appropriate programs, services, and initiatives;
(3) Augment Head Start's capacity to be a partner in state initiatives on behalf of children and their families; and
(4) Facilitate the involvement of Head Start in state policies, plans, processes, and decisions affecting the Head Start target population and other low-income families; and
WHEREAS, the Head Start Collaboration Office is a federally funded office attached to the Department of Human Services for administrative purposes; and
WHEREAS, parents of young children with disabilities, who are eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 and whose Individualized Education Plan Teams have determined that a Head Start program should be a part of their Individualized Education Plans, have raised concerns that state policies may limit flexibility in full-time, part-time, or dual-center based and home visitor placements, and the provision of services to support the families; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Human Services is requested, in conjunction with the Head Start Collaboration Office, the Department of Health, and the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Office of Community Services, to perform a management, operational, and financial review of Hawaii's Early Head Start and Head Start funding recipients to determine resources and to identify ways to improve policies, procedures, and personnel training to increase the programs' effectiveness; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the review should include:
(1) A review of the State's efforts to promote collaboration among Early Head Start, Head Start, and the state agencies charged with providing services to eligible children with disabilities; and
(2) An assessment of the management, financial, and decision-making practices of Early Head Start and Head Start funding recipients and the state agencies required to provide services to eligible children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004;
(3) An assessment of Early Head Start and Head Start funding recipients' decision-making policies and procedures for placing and providing services to children with disabilities in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 and the Head Start Act;
(4) An evaluation as to whether Early Head Start and Head Start funding recipients expend available funds in an efficient and cost-effective manner;
(5) A determination of funding, training, or support opportunities to improve Early Head Start and Head Start services; and
(6) An impact assessment of changes in laws affecting federal funding sources for Hawaii's Early Head Start and Head Start programs;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Services report the results of the review to the Legislature at least twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Services, the Director of Health, the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, and the head of the Head Start Collaboration Office.
Report Title:
Head Start; Review