Parent Handbook >Parent Grievance Procedure

 

A Parent Grievance Procedure is established to provide a means of encouraging parents in the Head Start program to feel comfortable with airing and/or expressing any doubts or problems which many occur during the program year with another parent or staff. This procedure shall give a parent the opportunity to freely express his or her feelings toward the conditions of the program or being treated unfairly.

A Grievance may be a complaint relating to another parent who is causing a problem, a staff who is not performing to his or her expectations according to her role and responsibilities, conditions of the centers, etc.

The Objectives of the Grievance Procedure shall be to:

1. Promote harmony in the working relationships of our parents and staff.
   
   
2. Provide and acknowledge an orderly process for the handling of the parent grievances.
   
   
3. Resolve grievances as quickly as possible before they become unduly exaggerated and disruptive to the program.
   
   
4. Resolve the grievance at the parent/staff level if possible.
   
   
5. Correct the cause of the grievance.
   
   
6. Provide free expression of views and open dialogue (documentation) between parent and staff.

A parent has the discretion of bypassing all procedures and going directly to whom he or she feels comfortable requesting assistance for his or her concerns.

Step 1: When a parent has a complaint (grievance), the first step is to contact the Head Start staff supervisor immediately to discuss the area of complaint. At this point, we encourage the parent as well as the supervisor to document the complaint. If no satisfaction to the parent:

Step 2:The parent, with the assistance of a third party, if necessary, and the staff supervisor will discuss the grievance with his or her parent committee. Documentation will be required of the parent, staff supervisor, and report to be recorded in the parent committee minutes. If no satisfaction to the parent:

Step 3: The parent, with the assistance from a third party if necessary, the staff supervisor, will discuss the grievance with the Oahu Head Start Policy Council. Documentation will be required of the parent, staff supervisor, minutes of the parent committee, and report to be recorded in the Policy Council minutes. If no satisfaction to the parent:

Step 4: The parent, with the assistance from a third party if necessary, the staff supervisor, will discuss the grievance with the HCAP (Honolulu Community Action Program, Inc.) Administrative Staff. Documentation will be required of the parent, staff supervisor, minutes of the parent center group, minutes of the Policy Council, and report to be recorded at the administrative level. If no satisfaction to the parent:

Step 5: The parent, with the assistance from a third party if necessary, the staff supervisor, and administrative staff will discuss the grievance with the HCAP Board. The decision of the Board is recorded as the Final Decision, hopefully to be accepted by the parent.

A parent has the discretion of bypassing all procedure and going directly to whom he or she feels comfortable requesting assistance for his or her concerns.

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