HUMAN RESOURCES CODE

TITLE 3. FACILITIES AND SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

SUBTITLE B. SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

CHAPTER 72. HEAD START PROGRAMS

Sec. 72.001.  DEFINITION.  In this chapter, "Head Start program" means the federal program established under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. Section 9831 et seq.) and its subsequent amendments.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 402, Sec. 2, eff. Aug. 30, 1999.

Sec. 72.002.  EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.  To promote the comprehensive health, safety, and well-being of children receiving child care through Head Start programs, a program provider shall provide educational services to children participating in the program so that each child is prepared to enter school and is ready to learn after completing the program.  The educational services provided must include components designed to enable a child to:
(1)  develop phonemic, print, and numeracy awareness, including the ability to:
(A)  recognize that letters of the alphabet are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named;
(B)  recognize a word as a unit of print;
(C)  identify at least 10 letters of the alphabet;  and
(D)  associate sounds with written words;
(2)  understand and use language to communicate for various purposes;
(3)  understand and use an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary;
(4)  develop and demonstrate an appreciation of books;  and
(5)  progress toward mastery of the English language, if the child's primary language is a language other than English.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 402, Sec. 2, eff. Aug. 30, 1999.

Sec. 72.003.  COORDINATION OF SERVICES.  (a)  In a manner consistent with federal law and regulations, each Head Start and Early Head Start program provider shall coordinate with the Texas Workforce Commission and local workforce development boards regarding subsidized child-care services.
(b)  The coordination required by this section must include coordinating to ensure, to the extent practicable, that full-day, full-year child-care services are available to meet the needs of low-income parents who are working or participating in workforce training or workforce education.  The coordination may also include:
(1)  cooperating with the Texas Workforce Commission regarding studies conducted by the commission;
(2)  collecting data necessary to determine a child's eligibility for subsidized child-care services or a Head Start or Early Head Start program, when permissible;
(3)  cooperating to provide for staff training and professional development activities;
(4)  identifying and developing methods for the collaborative provision of subsidized child-care services and Head Start or Early Head Start program services, including:
(A)  sharing facilities or staff;  and
(B)  increasing the enrollment capacity of those programs;
(5)  identifying child-care facilities located in close proximity to Head Start or Early Head Start programs;  and
(6)  coordinating transportation between child-care facilities identified under Subdivision (5) and a Head Start or Early Head Start program.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 616, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.