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of Agreement between U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families and East Coast Migrant Head Start and Alabama Department of Education |
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Purpose and Scope of This Agreement This agreement is between the U.S. Department of Health and Human. Services, Administration for Children and Families Region IV, representing the Alabama Head, Start programs; the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, Region XII; representing Migrant Programs in Alabama; and the Alabama State Department of Education. The purpose of the agreement is to strengthen the cooperative services to children with disabilities, ages three through five years, between Head Start and local education agencies, and to serve as a model for developing local interagency agreements. All references to Head Start throughout this agreement will include both Alabama Head Start grantees and East Coast Migrant Head Start Project and Early Head Start as appropriate. In addition, East Coast Migrant Head Start provides monitoring and training and technical assistance to its delegate agencies. Federal and state initiatives encourage the development of a continuum of services to provide expanded least restrictive environment alternatives for young children with disabilities in Alabama. Head Start has provided services for preschool children with disabilities as mandated by the Head Start Economic Opportunity and Community Partnership Acts of 1974 (P.L. 93-644). Therefore, Head Start is an appropriate component of the continuum of services being developed in order to implement the EHA Amendments of 1986 (P.L. 99-457). Through this agreement, collaboration between LEAs and Head Start grantees will facilitate improved programming and direct delivery of services to this population. Collaboration will also facilitate the most effective and efficient utilization of available resources while minimizing duplications in service delivery. The format of this interagency agreement is designed to outline the role and responsibility of each of the participating agencies (Administration for Children and Families; Head Start grantees; State Department of Education; and Local Education Agencies) within the identified areas needed in the delivery of services to preschool children with disabilities. This agreement applies to young children with disabilities, ages three through five years, and shall be reviewed annually for necessary amendments. [Signatures] State Superintendent of Education Associate Commissioner Executive Director Acting HUB Director, Region IV Service Mandates Local Education Agencies P.L. 91-230, as amended, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides for a free appropriate public education for all children with disabilities. Alabama Act 91-474 specifies that mandated services for children with disabilities begin on the third birthday. Head Start The legislative mandate for Head Start is the Head Start, Economic Opportunity and Community Partnership Acts of 1974 (P.L. 93-644) which require "that for Fiscal Year 1976 and thereafter no less than ten percentum of the total number of enrollment opportunities in Head Start programs in each state shall be available for handicapped children...and that services shall be provided to meet their special needs." Services for children with disabilities served through Head Start will be rendered in accordance with the regulations of P.L. 91-230, as amended, and Head Start Performance Standards (45-CFR 1301 - 1306, 1308). |
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