Parent Handbook > Governance & Management Responsibilities

Head Start provides parents opportunities to participate in policy and decision-making throughout the program. Parents are involved in such areas as program planning and implementation, volunteering, parent committees, policy council representation standing policy council committee membership, and program self assessment.

Policy Council

The Policy Council is the governing body of Head Start. It is composed of parent committee representatives, community representatives and staffed by the Head Start Director. Its function is to oversee the Head Start program, ensure compliance with federal regulations, and make decisions regarding programming. Policy Council meetings are held on a monthly basis.

Parent Committee

Once your child is enrolled in our program you become a member of the Parent Committee for the class your child attends. The parent committee meets once a month, and is responsible for electing a Policy Council representative, alternate and Parent Committee officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer). These officers are to preside during monthly parent committee meetings where discussions and decisions regarding the program occur. However no decision can be made if there is no quorum. *

*Quorum occurs when there are 5 or more committee members present for the Parent Committee meeting.

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