Leadership and governance are the bedrocks of effective management. Head Start program leadership consists of three key entities: the governing body/Tribal Council (i.e., legal and fiscal responsibilities), Policy Council/parent committees (i.e., set program direction), and management staff (i.e., day-to-day operations). These entities work together to provide leadership and strategic direction. Explore resources to help grantees navigate these tasks and relationships. Learn how to build communication and information systems that connect internal and external stakeholders. Find resources to help design and distribute reports and manage recordkeeping activities.
As a parent or family member serving on the Policy Council, you are part of your program’s leadership. Use this tool to reflect on how your program is partnering with families using the framework.
In this resource, learn how to partner with parents. Explore how to support their growth as leaders and advocates on the Policy Council.
The Governance Readiness Assessment helps organizations review their processes. Governing bodies can use it to assess their capacity to oversee and monitor a Head Start program.
Planning systems occur in a continuous cycle and involve key members of the Head Start community. The outcome of this cycle is the creation of achievable goals and short-term program and fiscal objectives.
This resource contains the Head Start Act of 2007 citations that relate to program governance.
The governing body must certify that a governance and leadership capacity screening was conducted and a training plan was developed. A certification must be submitted to the Office of Head Start (OHS) in the Head Start Enterprise System (HSES) within 75 calendar days of the start of the project period.