Head Start Collaboration

Head Start is funded within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that serves children from birth to age five, pregnant women, and their families. Ten percent of enrollments are offered to children with disabilities. Head Start programs are child-focused and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.

Head Start serves families within the context of the community, and recognizes that many other agencies and groups work with the same families. The objective of Head Start's regulations on Community Partnerships (45CFR 1304.41) is to ensure that grantee and delegate agencies collaborate with partners in their communities, in order to provide the highest level of services to children and families, to foster the development of a continuum of family centered services, and to advocate for a community that shares responsibility for the healthy development of children and families of all cultures.

Head Start Regulations and Performance Standards relating to interagency coordination.

Head Start Interagency Agreements

Examples of existing State level agreements promoting the coordination of Head Start/Early Head Start services with special education/early intervention services provided by agencies responsible for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)are listed below. These agreements were developed consistent with Head Start Act and IDEA requirements for interagency coordination in serving young children with disabilites and their families. These agreements demonstrate support for, and provide guidance to, interagency coordination at the local community level.

• DE - Agreement (PDF: 51kb) , Framework for Local Agreements (PDF: 63kb)
• IL (PDF: 180kb) , July 2000
• KY
• MN (PDF: 49kb)
• NC (PDF: 113kb) , October 2000
• WI (PDF: 717kb) , November 2001

Interagency Agreement Checklist: (PDF: 364kb) This checklist provides guidance for local interagency agreements for services to families and children with disabilities. This checklist was developed in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards and IDEA.

Leading the Way: Disabilities Services and the Management Team, Module 3 - Collaborating with LEAs. This module provides guidance on establishing collaborative relationships and providing collaborative services between Head Start programs and Local Education Agencies.