The Policy Council is made up of Head Start and Early Head Start parent representatives who are elected from their respective CSI Head Start/Early Head Start Centers and other individuals who are representatives of the community.
Policy Council Composition:
At least 51% of the members of the Head Start program Policy Council must be parents or legal guardians of children currently enrolled in the Head Start program. The Parent Policy Council representative will be elected by the center Parent Committee and approved by the full Policy Council. This membership includes one parent and one alternate for each center. The remaining members of the Head Start program Policy Council will be representatives from the community.
Parent Members:
Only parents/legal guardians of currently enrolled Head Start/Early Head Start children may serve as parent representatives to the Policy Council. Parent representatives will be elected at the first parent meeting.
Community Representatives:
These members represent public and private agencies and civic groups, community business or industry, or professional organizations, which have a concern for children and families. Parents of former Head Start children may serve as community representatives on the Policy Council, if they have not met the three-year maximum. Community representatives must be elected by the parents of children currently enrolled in the program. The number of community representatives is one from each county served, but cannot exceed 49% of the total Council. Membership includes representatives from each of the 12 counties served by CSI Head Start program.
Staff Membership:
No staff member of the Head Start program or members of their families shall serve on the Policy Council. Family is defined as employee’s spouse, brother, sister, parents, children, step-children, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, and any other member of the employee’s household. Staff may attend council meetings, upon request of the council, in a non-voting capacity. If a parent member becomes a Head Start employee while serving on the Policy Council, that individual must resign from the Policy Council, the alternate member will become the representative, and a new alternate will be elected.
Board Membership:
The Concerted Services, Inc. Governing Board will have representation from the Head Start program Policy Council and the Policy Council will have representation from the Concerted Services, Inc. Board. This will ensure coordination of shared governance.
Terms of Membership:
It is important that the membership of policy groups be rotated to assure a regular influx of new ideas into the program. For this purpose, members will serve one-year terms, and total membership must be limited to no more than three years in lifetime. It does not matter whether the time is served in three consecutive years, or at different intervals. This policy allows a greater number of people to participate in making plans and decisions affecting the Head Start program. Persons having served three years as policy group members may continue to serve as ad hoc members of committees or may train new members.
