GULF COAST COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATION
Head Start/Early Head Start Support Services Monthly Narrative August 2025
LEADERSHIPACTIVITIES
• Welcome Back to School! Children and staff are excited to return to learning and growing
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP): There was no school and no CACFP reimbursement for July 2025. The CACFP application was submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture ahead of the deadline date! Our application has been approved for the 2025-2026 Program Year!
• Health & Nutrition Manager Position: We are excited that this position has been filled and to welcome our new Health and Nutrition Manager, Mr. Jose “Alex” Velasquez He comes to the Head Start & Early Health Start program with a wealth of knowledge in Health, Nutrition and Leadership skills. Join me in welcoming Mr. Alex!
• GCCSA/Houston ISD – Early Learning 1882 Partnerships Meeting: The Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) leadership team met with HISD and Good Reason Houston. Good Reason Houston is working with HISD to search for possible partnerships to participate in a grant they are writing to Early Learning 1812 Partnership
• Head Start/Early Head Start Supplemental Nutrition & Wellness Grant: The Supplemental Nutrition & Wellness grant was submitted to provide nutrition education and farming awareness for children enrolled in the program. In partnership with Cook Learn Grow children will receive structured, hands-on cooking lessons. In collaboration with local farmers, children will have gardening activities at their centers.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT (CD)
• Excitement is in the air as the first weeks of school began this month. Pasadena site began August 14, Raul Yzaguirre on August 13 and HISD & Stand-alone sites began August 12
• Early Head Start: Frog street Infants: Teachers implement the Activity Trackers Card to plan activities according to each child’s individual need. Toddlers: Theme- All About Me- Week 1- My Face/Children will learn about the location and function of their facial features.
• SAVAS Threes: Theme- Awesome Me- Week 1- This week the children will learn how awesome they are physically as they study body parts and their functions. Children will also be introduced to essential classroom routines.
• Raul Yzaguirre -Teaching Strategies Curriculum Theme: “Building your classroom community” Sub-theme: What names do we need to know at school? What should we do if we get sad or scared at school? What are our rules? When do things happen at school? Who works at our school? How do we make and keep friends?
• Stand-Alone Curriculum: Frog street Pre-K. Theme 1- My School and Me/Mi escuela y yo. Week 1: This way to PreK/ Camino a Pre-kindergarten, Week 2: Physical Me/Mi fisico, Week 3: My Senses/Mis sentidos, Week 4: I Think, I Feel/ Yo creo, yo siento
• Child Development Specialists in Collaboration conduct virtual interviews and candidate recommendations with supporting to hire Teacher/Teacher Assistants/Teacher.
• The Child Development Team conducted the Learning Environment Checklist with the Center Administrator to ensure that the teachers are prepared. They also worked with the warehouse team to deliver classroom materials.
HEALTH & NUTRITION (H/N):
• Head Start program requires within 30 calendar days after the child first attends the program, the parent must be consulted to determine whether each child has ongoing sources of continuous, accessible health care and health insurance coverage. Currently the Head Start enrollment is at 994 and EHS is at full enrollment of 112 Within 45 calendar days after the child first attends the program a program must either obtain or perform evidence-based vision and hearing screenings.
• Within 90 days HS must obtain determinations from health care and oral health care professionals to establish if the child is up to date on a schedule of age-appropriate preventive and primary medical and oral health care. This is based on the well-child visits and dental periodicity schedules as prescribed by the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program. EPSDT is a part of the Medicaid agency.
• The Health & Nutrition Team is preparing for the New Hire Orientation sessions for new employees in the upcoming school year.
• The Nutrition Team throughoutAugust, collaborated consistently with colleagues to prepare and submit the nutrition grant applicationforthe Office of Head Start, whilealsodeveloping a comprehensive trainingmoduleto guideteachers in accurately completing the Health & Wellness documentation.
• The HealthTeam isactively supportingcenters by providing first aidsupplies as needed,issuing vouchers forphysical and dental services to uninsured children, printing ImmTrac records for data entry, and completing the calibration of hearing testing machines.
SPECIALSERVICES (SS):
Head Start and Early Head Start requires that 10% of the Funded Enrollment includes children with disabilities. Head Start only recognizes children with a disability that are eligible for services under Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).At the end of August 2025, it was determined that 18 Head Start children and 2 Early Head Start children are currently enrolled with an identified disability. Fourteen (14) children are identified with a Speech Impairment, 1 withAutism, 2 with Non-Categorical Early Childhood, 2 with Other Health Impairment and 1 with Hearing Impairment. IDEAis a law that makes available free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children who are identified with a disability. The Local Education Agency (LEA) holds the authority to identify the children with disabilities. Please see the “Identified Children Per Campus” chart showing the number of children with disabilities indicated above.
SPECIALSERVICES (continued):
As of the end of August 2025, the Special Services Department has 90 suspected children enrolled in our Head Start program and 9 suspected children enrolled in our Early Head Start program. 73 children have suspected speech concerns, 11 children have suspected of Autism, 2 children have suspected social-emotional concerns, 11 children with both disability and social-emotional concerns and 2 children with occupational/physical concerns.
Please see the “Suspected Children Per Campus” chart showing the number of children with suspected disabilities.
Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings: The department assists with monitoring MultiDisciplinary (MDT) meetings. MDT meetings are held to ensure that children who are enrolled or who have applied are given the opportunity to maximize the benefits of the program. For the month of August 2025, the Special Services Department obtained and attended 7 new MDT and a total of 18 year to date.
The Special Services Department was present across campuses to provide support, ensuring a smooth transition for students and assisting teachers in addressing individual needs. Their presence helped create a welcoming and supportive environment for both students and staff as the school year begins. Below, Ms. Cynthia Hickman is pictured assisting in one of our Early Head Start Classrooms.
GCCSADisabilities and Mental Health Providers Services - (Advance Plus,Angels of Care, Personal Touch, Eaden Counseling, Providential Counseling,ANC-D Psychological Services and Marshall Counseling Services) Providers are working towards ensuring they are cleared to provide services for the upcoming 2025-2026 program year.
DEPARTMENTACCOMPLISHMENTS:
New Hire Orientation: During the month of August, there were a total of seven (7) new hires to come on board. One (1) Health & Nutrition Manager and six (6) teaching positions. We warmly welcome our new hires.
CPR/First Aid: There were two (2) staff that attended CPR classes and received certification during the month of August In attendance there was one (1) Special Services Specialist and one (1) Teaching Staff.
Specialists’ Outcomes Meeting: Specialists held their regular and final quarterly meeting for this school year. Children’s progress was discussed and identified by returning children who will continue to need support.
HS/EHS Professional Development:
• MandatoryADP Hiring Manager Training
• SHINE Data Training
• TANS Talk
• 2025 26 Open Enrollment Education Meeting
Site Observation Report – August 2025: The Site Observation Summary Chart outlines the center visits conducted during August 2025 by the Child Development, Health & Nutrition, Special Services and Family Empowerment team members. These visits were carried out across all GCCSA Head Start and Early Head Start Centers to ensure that comprehensive support was provided, addressing the evolving needs of children, families, and staff. Each site observation is an essential component of the agency’s commitment to maintaining high-quality service delivery and fostering continuous improvement.
UPCOMINGACTIVITIES/EVENTS/TRAINING HOSTED BY DEPARTMENT:
September 3 – Oct. 7 Beginning of the Year ChildrenAssessments
September 8-19 Teacher Heights & Weights
August 11 Support Services Team Meeting – Change to Room 144
September 17 Storytime– Ms. Cindy Puryear
September 22
New Hire Orientation
September 23 Board Meeting
October 6
October 20
November 3
New Hire Orientation
New Hire Orientation
New Hire Orientation
December 1 – 19 Blackout Period
UPCOMING CONFERENCES TRAININGS
HOSTED OUTSIDE OF GCCSA:
September 1 Labor Day
September 25 Bethany SHINE Training
REQUIRED TRAININGS:
• CDA Training
• Civil Rights Training (annual)
• CLASS and Teacher Success Rubric
• Training for new and returning staff.
• Child Abuse and Neglect Training annually
• CPR & First Aid Training
• Coaching and Mentoring Strategies CD Specialists & Teachers
• ERSEA Training - required annually.
• Food Handlers Certification
• Medication Administration Training
• Orientation for New Employees, Parents & Providers
• Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Health and Safety, Teaching and Learning Environment, Curriculum & Assessment
• Pedestrian Safety at First Parent Upcoming
• Technology in the Classroom Training
• HS/EHS Policies and Procedures Training: Practice-Based Coaching, Effective Classroom Management.
• CACFP Required Training & Bi- Weekly CACFP & Cook Training Conscience Discipline Training
• Disability & Mental Health Training & Social Emotional Development for Children
• SIDS/ Shaken Baby training.
