[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: 45CFR1304.51]

[Page 138-140]
 
                        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 D_Program Design and Management
 
Sec.  1304.51  Management systems and procedures.

    (a) Program planning. (1) Grantee and delegate agencies must develop 
and implement a systematic, ongoing process of program planning that 
includes consultation with the program's governing body, policy groups, 
and program staff, and with other community organizations that serve 
Early Head Start and

[[Page 139]]

Head Start or other low-income families with young children. Program 
planning must include:
    (i) An assessment of community strengths, needs and resources 
through completion of the Community Assessment, in accordance with the 
requirements of 45 CFR 1305.3;
    (ii) The formulation of both multi-year (long-range) program goals 
and short-term program and financial objectives that address the 
findings of the Community Assessment, are consistent with the philosophy 
of Early Head Start and Head Start, and reflect the findings of the 
program's annual self- assessment; and
    (iii) The development of written plan(s) for implementing services 
in each of the program areas covered by this part (e.g., Early Childhood 
Development and Health Services, Family and Community Partnerships, and 
Program Design and Management). See the requirements of 45 CFR parts 
1305, 1306, and 1308.
    (2) All written plans for implementing services, and the progress in 
meeting them, must be reviewed by the grantee or delegate agency staff 
and reviewed and approved by the Policy Council or Policy Committee at 
least annually, and must be revised and updated as needed.
    (b) Communications--general. Grantee and delegate agencies must 
establish and implement systems to ensure that timely and accurate 
information is provided to parents, policy groups, staff, and the 
general community.
    (c) Communication with families. (1) Grantee and delegate agencies 
must ensure that effective two-way comprehensive communications between 
staff and parents are carried out on a regular basis throughout the 
program year.
    (2) Communication with parents must be carried out in the parents' 
primary or preferred language or through an interpreter, to the extent 
feasible.
    (d) Communication with governing bodies and policy groups. Grantee 
and delegate agencies must ensure that the following information is 
provided regularly to their grantee and delegate governing bodies and to 
members of their policy groups:
    (1) Procedures and timetables for program planning;
    (2) Policies, guidelines, and other communications from HHS;
    (3) Program and financial reports; and
    (4) Program plans, policies, procedures, and Early Head Start and 
Head Start grant applications.
    (e) Communication among staff. Grantee and delegate agencies must 
have mechanisms for regular communication among all program staff to 
facilitate quality outcomes for children and families.
    (f) Communication with delegate agencies. Grantees must have a 
procedure for ensuring that delegate agency governing bodies, Policy 
Committees, and all staff receive all regulations, policies, and other 
pertinent communications in a timely manner.
    (g) Record-keeping systems. Grantee and delegate agencies must 
establish and maintain efficient and effective record-keeping systems to 
provide accurate and timely information regarding children, families, 
and staff and must ensure appropriate confidentiality of this 
information.
    (h) Reporting systems. Grantee and delegate agencies must establish 
and maintain efficient and effective reporting systems that:
    (1) Generate periodic reports of financial status and program 
operations in order to control program quality, maintain program 
accountability, and advise governing bodies, policy groups, and staff of 
program progress; and
    (2) Generate official reports for Federal, State, and local 
authorities, as required by applicable law.
    (i) Program self-assessment and monitoring. (1) At least once each 
program year, with the consultation and participation of the policy 
groups and, as appropriate, other community members, grantee and 
delegate agencies must conduct a self-assessment of their effectiveness 
and progress in meeting program goals and objectives and in implementing 
Federal regulations.
    (2) Grantees must establish and implement procedures for the ongoing 
monitoring of their own Early Head Start and Head Start operations, as 
well as those of each of their delegate agencies, to ensure that these 
operations effectively implement Federal regulations.

[[Page 140]]

    (3) Grantees must inform delegate agency governing bodies of any 
deficiencies in delegate agency operations identified in the monitoring 
review and must help them develop plans, including timetables, for 
addressing identified problems.

(The information and collection requirements are approved by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0970-0148 for 
paragraphs (a) and (i).)

[61 FR 57210, Nov. 5, 1996, as amended at 63 FR 2314, Jan. 15, 1998]