USA ELOF Part 1302 1302 Subpart I – Human Resources Management

Practical Steps Towards An Excellent ELOF

To meet the standards for 1302 Subpart I—Human Resources Management as outlined in the Head Start Program Performance Standards for 3-5 year old ELOF children in the USA, here’s an exhaustive list of practical steps:

1302.90 Personnel policies

1. Establishing Personnel Policies and Procedures:
   • Draft written personnel policies and procedures.
   • Obtain approval for these policies from the governing body and policy council or policy committee.
   • Make these policies available to all staff members.
2. Background Checks and Selection Procedures:
   • Before hiring any person (including transportation staff and contractors):
     • Conduct an interview.
     • Verify references.
     • Conduct a sex offender registry check.
     • Obtain either state/tribal criminal history records with fingerprint checks or Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records with fingerprint checks.
   • Within 90 days of hiring an employee:
     • Complete the background check process by obtaining whichever check wasn’t obtained before hiring.
     • Obtain a child abuse and neglect state registry check (if available).
   • Review the information from employment applications and background checks to assess the relevance of any issues, including arrests, pending criminal charges, or convictions.
   • Use Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) disqualification factors or tribal disqualification factors to determine the employability of a prospective employee.
   • Ensure that a newly hired employee, consultant, or contractor does not have unsupervised access to children until the complete background check process is finished.
   • Conduct a complete background check for each employee, consultant, or contractor at least once every five years.
   • Consider current and former program parents for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.
3. Standards of Conduct:
   • Ensure all staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers adhere to the program’s standards of conduct, which includes:
     • Implementing positive strategies to support children’s well-being.
     • Prohibiting maltreatment or endangerment of children.
     • Ensuring no child is left alone or unsupervised.
   • Include penalties in personnel policies for those who violate these standards.
4. Communication with Dual Language Learners and Their Families:
   • Ensure staff and consultants are familiar with the ethnic backgrounds of families in the program.
   • Ensure effective communication with children who are dual language learners and families with limited English proficiency.
   • If a majority of children in a class or home-based program speak the same language, ensure at least one staff member or home visitor speaks that language.

1302.91 Staff qualifications and competency requirements

1. Purpose:
   • Ensure all staff, consultants, and contractors have the necessary knowledge, training, experience, and competencies.
   • Provide ongoing training and professional development.
2. Qualifications for Specific Roles:
   • Ensure the Early Head Start or Head Start director has a baccalaureate degree and experience in supervision, fiscal management, and administration.
   • Ensure the fiscal officer is either a certified public accountant or has a baccalaureate degree in a relevant field.
   • Ensure staff responsible for family services, health services, and services to children with disabilities have a baccalaureate degree related to their discipline.
   • Ensure education managers or coordinators have a baccalaureate or advanced degree in early childhood education or equivalent.
   • Ensure center-based teachers, assistant teachers, family child care providers, home visitors, and family services staff meet the specified qualification requirements.
   • Ensure health professionals are licensed or certified.
   • Ensure coaches have a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or a related field.

1302.92 Training and professional development

1. Orientation:
   • Provide an orientation for all new staff, consultants, and volunteers that focuses on the program’s goals and philosophy.
2. Systematic Approach to Training:
   • Establish a systematic approach to staff training and professional development.
   • Ensure staff complete a minimum of 15 clock hours of professional development per year.
   • Provide training on handling suspected or known child abuse and neglect cases.
   • Offer training on best practices for family engagement.
   • Implement a research-based coordinated coaching strategy for education staff.

1302.93 Staff health and wellness

1. Health Examinations:
   • Ensure each staff member undergoes an initial health examination and periodic re-examinations as recommended.
2. Mental Health and Wellness:
   • Make mental health and wellness information available to staff.
   • Provide regular opportunities for staff to learn about mental health, wellness, and health education.

1302.94 Volunteers

1. Screening:
   • Ensure volunteers have been screened for communicable diseases as per state, tribal, or local laws.
2. Supervision:
   • Ensure children are never left alone with volunteers.

By following these practical steps, your service will be in alignment with the standards set forth in 1302 Subpart I—Human Resources Management.

An Example Monthly Schedule

Ready to implement these practical steps in your service? Using the constraints of 4 hours per week to work on improvements, we’ve created an example schedule below.

Given the extensive requirements of the 1302 Subpart I—Human Resources Management, an educator with a limited time of 4 hours per week should prioritize tasks to ensure effective and systematic improvement. Here’s an example monthly schedule:

Week 1: Understanding and Documentation

Total Time: 4 hours

1. Review and Familiarization (1 hour):
   • Spend time reviewing the 1302 Subpart I—Human Resources Management to understand the requirements thoroughly.
2. Documentation Audit (2 hours):
   • Check current HR policies and procedures against the requirements.
   • Identify gaps or areas that need updating or creation.
3. Planning (1 hour):
   • Draft a plan for the upcoming weeks based on the gaps identified.

Week 2: Personnel Policies and Background Checks

Total Time: 4 hours

1. Draft/Update Personnel Policies (1.5 hours):
   • Begin drafting or updating the personnel policies based on the requirements.
2. Background Check Procedures (2 hours):
   • Review current background check procedures.
   • Update or establish a system for conducting and documenting background checks, ensuring compliance with the standards.
3. Feedback Session (0.5 hours):
   • If possible, discuss the updates with a colleague or supervisor for feedback.

Week 3: Standards of Conduct and Communication

Total Time: 4 hours

1. Standards of Conduct (2 hours):
   • Draft or update the program’s standards of conduct, ensuring all points are covered.
   • Create a plan for training staff on these standards.
2. Communication Strategies (1.5 hours):
   • Develop or refine strategies for effective communication with dual language learners and their families.
   • Consider tools, resources, or training that might be needed.
3. Review and Refinement (0.5 hours):
   • Review the work done so far and make any necessary refinements.

Week 4: Training, Professional Development, and Health

Total Time: 4 hours

1. Training and Professional Development Plan (2 hours):
   • Based on the requirements, draft a training and professional development plan for staff.
   • Identify external resources or experts if needed.
2. Staff Health and Wellness (1.5 hours):
   • Review current health and wellness policies.
   • Update or create a plan to ensure staff health examinations, mental health resources, and wellness information are available and up-to-date.
3. Wrap-up and Next Steps (0.5 hours):
   • Review the month’s progress.
   • Outline next steps or areas to focus on in the coming month.

This schedule provides a structured approach to addressing the requirements of 1302 Subpart I—Human Resources Management. Adjustments can be made based on the specific needs and existing structures of the educational institution.

Reflective Questions

Reflective questions are essential for introspection and continuous improvement in any domain, including Human Resources Management (HRM). Here’s an exhaustive list of reflective questions tailored for HRM:

General HRM Reflection:

1. What are the core values that guide our HRM practices?
2. How do our HRM practices align with the organization’s mission and vision?
3. In what ways have our HRM strategies contributed to the organization’s success this year?
4. What HRM challenges did we face this year, and how did we address them?
5. How have we ensured that our HR policies and practices are compliant with legal and ethical standards?

Recruitment and Selection:

1. Are our recruitment strategies effective in attracting the right talent?
2. How diverse and inclusive is our recruitment process?
3. Are there any biases that might have influenced our hiring decisions?
4. How can we improve our onboarding process to better integrate new employees?

Training and Development:

1. Are our training programs meeting the current needs of our employees?
2. How have our training initiatives impacted employee performance and productivity?
3. Are there areas of professional development that we have overlooked?
4. How are we ensuring continuous learning and growth opportunities for our staff?

Performance Management:

1. Is our performance appraisal system fair and effective?
2. How are we addressing underperformance, and are our strategies effective?
3. Are our feedback mechanisms constructive and supportive?
4. How are we recognizing and rewarding outstanding performance?

Employee Relations:

1. How would I describe the current morale and culture of the organization?
2. Are there any unresolved conflicts or issues that need attention?
3. How are we promoting a positive, inclusive, and respectful work environment?
4. Are our communication channels effective in addressing employee concerns and feedback?

Compensation and Benefits:

1. Are our compensation packages competitive and fair?
2. How do our benefits compare with industry standards?
3. Are there any additional benefits or perks we should consider offering to retain talent?

Health, Safety, and Well-being:

1. How are we ensuring the physical and mental well-being of our employees?
2. Are there any health and safety concerns that need to be addressed?
3. How effective are our wellness programs and initiatives?

Succession Planning:

1. Are we prepared for key personnel changes or retirements?
2. How are we identifying and nurturing future leaders within the organization?
3. Are there critical roles in the organization for which we don’t have a clear successor?

Diversity and Inclusion:

1. How diverse is our workforce, and how are we promoting diversity and inclusion?
2. Are there any barriers or challenges faced by underrepresented groups in our organization?
3. How are we ensuring that our HRM practices are free from biases and discrimination?

Employee Exit and Retention:

1. Why are employees leaving our organization, and what can we learn from their feedback?
2. How effective are our strategies in retaining top talent?
3. Are we conducting comprehensive exit interviews to gather insights?

Continuous Improvement:

1. What HRM tools or technologies could we adopt to enhance efficiency?
2. Are there any HRM best practices or trends that we should consider implementing?
3. How are we measuring the success and impact of our HRM initiatives?
4. What are the top three areas of improvement for our HRM in the coming year?

Using these reflective questions, HR professionals can gain deeper insights into their practices, identify areas of improvement, and develop strategies for more effective human resources management.