Letter from the Executive Director  

I appreciate everyone who has reached out to check on our Head Start families in Florida. A massive shout to Donna Veatch, Director of Executive Services for the Region 7 Head Start Association, and her team for supporting our Head Start programs by raising money for the cause. We are beyond grateful and can't thank you enough for your support.  In support of their efforts, FHSA created a Hurricane Ian disaster relief option on our donation page. If you would like to make a donation, 100% of the proceeds collected will be sent directly to the programs affected by the Hurricane. 

Head Start programs are resilient in the face of adversity and always rise to the challenge to continue meeting the needs of their communities' most at-risk children and families. Hurricane Ian was no exception as Charlotte County Public Schools Head Start/Early Head Start shared photos of their recovery efforts in supporting their families and ensuring their staff's mental health and well-being. 

On the advocacy front, the House and Senate will return to DC after the mid-term election on the week of November 14. Upon their return, Congress will need to reach a deal on a bill to fund the federal government through Fiscal year 2023 before the short-term Continuing Resolution, which expires on December 16. We need you to ensure early care and education is a priority. Today more than ever, we need voices from the field to reach out to Congress and urge them to

• "Hold the Line" and maintain a minimum $1 billion increase over FY22 funding, in line with what’s currently in the House and Senate appropriations bills. 
• Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), in line with the current rate of inflation (8.3% as of August 30), would provide much-needed wage increases for the Head Start workforce.
• Quality Improvement Funding would help enable programs to meet current needs by providing the flexibility to address specific local priorities to improve program performance as authorized in the Head Start Act. 

If you need any assistance, please let me know. I can help coordinate a visit to your program or send you the offices and contacts for your district(s). 

The FHSA board of directors has reopened the request for self-nominations for the open board seat in the Northeast region. Click here to view region map. If you are a director of a Head Start/Early Head Start program in this region, please consider completing a self-nomination form to serve. Deadline to submit will close on November 14, 2022.  

We have new dates for FHSA Leadership Training and Annual Awards luncheon!  The event will now be held on February 8 & 9, 2023, at the Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach. Scroll down the newsletter for more detailed information about this event. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Stay Well, 

Wanda Minick
Executive Director 
FHSA

The Preschool Collaborative Inclusion Conference that was to be held on October 4-6 has been rescheduled in a different format.  While the bulk of the conference will occur in the Spring, there will be a virtual portion on December 8th from 1-3:30 PM. Registration details coming soon.  

DEL Rulemaking: 6A-1.09433 was formally repealed on 10/19/22 at the State Board of Education meeting in Orlando. 

This rule referred to the VPK Pre and Post Assessments used in the past.  In addition, 6M-4.740 Program Assessment Requirements for the School Readiness Program have been updated with more defined terms and deleted items.  You can locate each of these items at Proposed Rules | DEL (floridaearlylearning.com)

On October 7th, Mayor Daniella Levin-Cava, along with members of the Blue-Ribbon Commission, hosted the Mayor's Children's Summit.  This powerful event joined together business leaders, educators, parents/caregivers, and other stakeholders as they work together to create a Roadmap to Success in Miami Dade County.  This event showcased the Miami Dade early childhood community's collaboration and partnership; it was a pleasure to meet so many Head Start staff. Kudos to the Miami Dade Head Start program for their work on the Blue-Ribbon Commission and the excellent work this grantee recipient brings to the children of Miami Dade.  

OHS Region IV New RPM Announced 

The Office of Head Start (OHS) announced the selection of Erika Lundy as the Regional Program Manager (RPM) in the Office of Head Start, Region IV, effective Monday, November 7, 2022.Click here to learn more about Ms. Lundy.  

On October 21, 2022, the Office of Head Start released ACF-IM-HS-22-08 on Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Monitoring Process for Head Start and Early Head Start Recipients. Focus Area One reviews will take place virtually. They will continue to be discussion-based and follow the protocol. During the NHSA Fall Leadership Institute, OHS shared that reviews will be more streamlined than in the past, and there will be fewer protocol questions. The FY2023 Focus Area One protocol hasn’t been released yet.

Focus Area Two reviews will follow a hybrid approach and include a mix of virtual and onsite activities. Specifically, the Review Lead and one Reviewer will be onsite. Classroom observations and center explorations will be completed in person. The Fiscal Reviewer and second generalist Reviewer will complete their activities virtually. New in FY2023, Focus Area Two reviews will test Promising Practice questions. These questions will gather data on grantee implementation of high-quality practices and performance that will lead to strong program results outside of HSPPS and compliance requirements. 

The FY2023 Focus Area Two Monitoring Protocol was released in September. While there are no significant changes, a few additions to the protocol and some sections and data questions from last year have been streamlined. Specifically, two new questions in the health section are related to staff wellness and licensing requirements. A question previously in the ERSEA section related to tracking services to enrolled pregnant women was also moved to the health section. Further, while the protocols from the last two years had detailed questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is now only one. All COVID-specific questions have been removed except for the Monitoring and Implementing Fiscal Infrastructure section (Ongoing Fiscal Capacity, PM2, question 4).  

During the OHS FY2023 Monitoring Kickoff Webinar stressed the importance of children’s safety and noted that protocols may include questions about reporting.

 The Office of Head Start hosted a webinar on October 13 to discuss the ACF-IM-HS-22-07 Reporting Child Health and Safety Incidents, released on September 27, 2022, to ensure our kiddos are safe in all kinds of early childhood settings. Addressing Child Incidents Through a Culture of Safety webinar stressed the importance of reporting health and safety incidents, building a culture of safety, and laying out the time frame for reporting incidents. Encourage everyone at your program to watch this webinar, as everybody has a role in keeping children safe. You view the slide deck from this webinar click here. 

We hope you attend this upcoming training event for directors, supervisors, managers, and all Head Start/Early Head Start leadership team members. During this event, we will showcase Head Start/Early Head Start programs' innovative work through a series of poster sessions. We will kick off the day with Dr.  Kimberly P. Johnson, Motivational Speaker, Children's author, educator, and Head Start alumni. Get ready for an interactive day working cohesively to create change through leadership, teaching, and diversity to help build a stronger leadership team.  

On day two, we will hear from the Early Childhood Policy Research Group at the UF Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies on their evidence-based framework for family engagement, followed by an interactive dialogue with attendees regarding how family engagement is currently supported through everyday practice and identify opportunities for how it can be expanded and celebrated.  Then wrap up training with Holly Bullard, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Florida Policy Institute on how to Advocate for Early Care and Education in today's climate.  

After all the training, FHSA will host its annual awards luncheon to recognize eleven state award recipients for their untiring dedication to Head Start. These individuals were nominated by their program and selected by the FHSA awards committee to represent Florida at the Regional and National levels. Visit our website to read their press releases and get a glimpse of this year's award winners. 

FHSA Friends member and former policy council member for Orange County Head Start Dexter Nelson Jr. was asked to participate on the Children's Movement of Florida Built to Thrive 2022 summit. Dexter represented the Head Start community and Dad's on the importance of engaging dad's and how to do it right. Click here to view the panel discussion.  

Orange County Head Start Provides a Lasting Legacy of Impact for Children and Families, October 21, 2022 

Tracy Guervil believes she would not be completing her final year of law school if it were not for Orange County Head Start. She credits the early-childhood education program with providing a safe, nurturing space for her children and allowing her to pursue her professional goals. 

“Studying for the bar exam requires 12 hours of study, seven days a week, and with two small children that would be impossible if I didn’t have Head Start in my life,” asserted Guervil, who plans to graduate from FAMU Law School in the Spring of 2023. “In Head Start, I know my kids are well taken care of, and I see their growth as human beings every day.” 

NHSA Winter Leadership Institute will be held January 23-26 in Crystal City, VA, coinciding with the beginning of a new Congress. This is a critical time of transition. The 2023 Winter Leadership Institute will be built around the theme of connecting with our roots, communities, and elected leaders. You can expect to dive into programs' opportunities and challenges in the post-election landscape.

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Upcoming Events

November:

08, Webinar: Autism Navigator How-To Guide for Families 

09, Florida Head Start Music Classes 

09, Leveraging Sources of Resilience to Support Mental Health 

11, FHSA office closed in observance of the Veterans Day holiday  

11, FAIMH Black Community of Professional Helpers 

14, Rule 6M-9.300, F.A.C., Child Care Resource and Referral and Consumer Education

14, Rule 6M-4.610, Statewide Contract for the School Readiness Program

15, Rule 6M-10.001/10.002 Gold Seal Quality Care Program/Gold Seal Quality Care Accrediting Associations

15, Rule 6M-4.610, Statewide Contract for the School Readiness Program 

15, Rule 6M-9.300, F.A.C., Child Care Resource and Referral and Consumer Education 

16, Florida Head Start Music Classes 

16, Rule 6M-10.001/10.002 Gold Seal Quality Care Program/Gold Seal Quality Care Accrediting Associations 

17, FREE: Count the Kicks Webinar for Head Start 

17, What does it take to learn to talk? Supporting Your Baby’s Learning in Everyday Activities

22, Webinar: Autism Navigator How-To Guide for Families 

24-25, FHSA office closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday

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