[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 45, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 45CFR1304.24]

[Page 129]
 
                        TITLE 45--PUBLIC WELFARE
 
CHAPTER XIII--OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 
                           AND HUMAN SERVICES
 
PART 1304_PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR THE OPERATION OF HEAD START 
 
        Subpart B_Early Childhood Development and Health Services
 
Sec.  1304.24  Child mental health.

    (a) Mental health services. (1) Grantee and delegate agencies must 
work collaboratively with parents (see 45 CFR 1304.40(f) for issues 
related to parent education) by:
    (i) Soliciting parental information, observations, and concerns 
about their child's mental health;
    (ii) Sharing staff observations of their child and discussing and 
anticipating with parents their child's behavior and development, 
including separation and attachment issues;
    (iii) Discussing and identifying with parents appropriate responses 
to their child's behaviors;
    (iv) Discussing how to strengthen nurturing, supportive environments 
and relationships in the home and at the program;
    (v) Helping parents to better understand mental health issues; and
    (vi) Supporting parents' participation in any needed mental health 
interventions.
    (2) Grantee and delegate agencies must secure the services of mental 
health professionals on a schedule of sufficient frequency to enable the 
timely and effective identification of and intervention in family and 
staff concerns about a child's mental health; and
    (3) Mental health program services must include a regular schedule 
of on-site mental health consultation involving the mental health 
professional, program staff, and parents on how to:
    (i) Design and implement program practices responsive to the 
identified behavioral and mental health concerns of an individual child 
or group of children;
    (ii) Promote children's mental wellness by providing group and 
individual staff and parent education on mental health issues;
    (iii) Assist in providing special help for children with atypical 
behavior or development; and
    (iv) Utilize other community mental health resources, as needed.