HUMAN RESOURCES CODE

SUBTITLE B. SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

CHAPTER 72. HEAD START PROGRAMS


	§ 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, § 2, eff. Aug. 30, 1999.           


	§ 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, § 2, eff. Aug. 30, 1999.           


	§ 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, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.