GULF COAST COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATION
Head Start/Early Head Start Support Services Monthly Narrative January 2025
LEADERSHIPACTIVITIES
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) The December 2024 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) claim was completed and submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) for reimbursement. In December there were 15 food service days for the month. There were 17 eligible sites and 1,518 eligible children. The number of meals provided: 5,553 breakfasts; 5,627 lunches and 16,529 PM snacks served.
Expected reimbursement for the month is $59,729.01.
GCCSAJanuary 2025 StoryTime – The Head Start/Early Head Start Director,Tiamoiya Lee read to the children and staff “The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld. When something terrible happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn.All the animals are sure they have the answer. But it was the rabbit that knew and just listened, which is just what Taylor needed. This was a deeply moving and unforgettable story the children and staff enjoyed.
TANS – The Department ofAgriculture ismovingto anew electronicsystem calledTexas AutomatedNutritionSystem (TANS). TheHeadStart/EarlyHeadStartAssistantDirector attended the January TANS Talk series meeting.
GCCSA/SHINE ECE Monthly Meeting – The Assistant Director, Child Development Manager held their monthly meeting with Sonali Raval, Shine Director of Education & Family and Community engagement.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT (CD)
• Early Head Start’s Frog Street Curriculum introduced January’s theme: “Favorite Tales and Rhymes”. Week 1 SubTheme- “Hen Tales”. This week children heard these tales, and no doubt delighted their parents by retelling these familiar stories at home. Week 2 Sub-Theme was “Mouse Tales” - focus for this week was on some fun, makebelieve mouse tales. Children seem to love mice perhaps because they are small, and children identify with their size or perhaps because they usually appear as both cute and smart. Week 3 Sub-Theme“Tales of Three”. These are favorite folktales that are built around the number three, such as the three bears, the three pigs, the three goats, and the three wishes. This week the children explored two of the most-beloved tales: “The Three Bears” and “The Three Little Pigs”. Week 4 Sub-Theme- “Jack” Rhymes. Research indicates that many rhymes are greatly beneficial as children develop early literacy skills. This week children immersed in nursey rhymes.
• Themes are not implemented in the Infant classrooms. The Infant teachers implement the Frog Street Infant Activity Cards. These cards are implemented weekly to create an intentional and personalized plan to enhance the infant’s development.
• This month, children in our Head Start standalone centers continued the study of the Frog Street Curriculum theme: “Stories and Rhymes”. Focus each week was on: Week 1 Sub-Theme - “Nursery Rhymes” Week 2 Sub-Theme - “Traditional Tales” Week 3 Sub-Theme - “Fairytales” and Week 4 Sub-Theme
• - “Ballads, Folktales and Fables”.
• This month's Teaching Strategies Curriculum theme at Raul Yzaguirre and RYSS STEM children learned about
• “Simple Machines”. Teachers worked with the children there on the following sub-themes: “What different types of wheels are there”, “How do wheels move”, How can we make our own wheels”, How do they help us”
CHILD DEVELOPMENT (CD)
(continued)
• Three Cheers for Pre-K Curriculum continuedto engage and celebratein the theme“Everyday Helpers”in collaboration classrooms. Children learned about how people in our community help us and which tool they use. Week 1 “Everyday Helpers All Around Us”; Week 2 “Everyday Workers & Their Tools”. Week 3 “Mail Carriers All Around Us”. Week 4 “Firefighters Help Us”.
• Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings (MDT) were completed and recommended instructional strategies were provided to support students and teachers.
• The Child Development team participated with interviews for teachers and teacher aides
• Child Development is provided support to the Head Start & Early Head Start teaching teams to address behaviors and/or classroom concerns.
• The Child Development Team participated in the January Recruitment Meetings.
• Child Development Team supported teachers to ensure Circle Progress Monitoring Middle of the Year (MOY) Assessment were being completed on all children in the program.
• The Child Development Team share with the Center Administrator the CLASS Score for each Teacher and Teacher Assistant and provide Action Plan documents and calendars.
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 Head Start enrollment is at 1373 and EHS is at full enrollment of 80
• Within 45 calendar days after the child first attends the program a program must either obtain or perform evidencebased vision and hearing screenings. Within 90 days HS must obtain determinations from health care and oral health care professionals to establishif the child is upto date ona 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. Texas Health Steps is our state’s EPSDT program. Immunization recommendations are issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and any additional recommendations from the local health agencies and the GCCSA Health Services Advisory Committee based on prevalent community health problems.
• Nutrition Team continue to host monthly meetings with The
EARLY HEAD START
Healthy Lunch Box Provider. This gives the Center Administrators an opportunity to provide feedback on the quality of the meals served to our stand-alone centers.
• Health Specialist continue to complete vision and hearing screenings for the new and returning students
• Thompson celebrated their 100th day of school with a food counting activity.
• The Nutrtion Team coordinated CACFP training for both Center Administrators and for Family Service Specialists focusing on point of service and the CACFP Enrollment form.
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 January 2025, it was determined 61 Head Start children and 6 Early Head Start children are enrolled in the program that are identified with disabilities Fifty-three (53) children are identified with a speech impairment, 6 withAutism, 6 with Non-Categorical Early Childhood and 1 with Orthopedic Impairment. Due to Gulf Coast Community ServicesAssociation's failure to meet the requirements established by the Office of Head Start, a disability waiver was submitted on January 17, 2025.
• 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 EducationAgency (LEA) holds the authority to identify children with disabilities. Please see the “Identified Children Per Campus” chart showing the number of children with disabilities on the previous page.
• As of the end of January 2025, the Special Services Department has 178 suspected children enrolled in our Head Start program and 4 suspected children enrolled in our Early Head Start program. 122 children have suspected speech concerns, 17 children have suspectedAutism, 8 children have suspected social emotional concerns, and 34 children with both disability and social emotional 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 Team (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 January 2025, the Special Services Department obtained and attended 1 new MDT meeting reports from the agency’s content areas for a total of 27 meetings year to date.
GCCSADisabilities and Mental Health Providers Services - (Advance Plus, Carr Speech, Personal Touch, Eaden Counseling, Providential Counseling andANC-D Psychological Services) The 2024-2025 program year is a bidding year and therefore the Special Services Manager and other staff members worked with the Procurement team and have accepted a proposal for the new Mental Health Provider, Marshall Counseling Services. The Special Services Department also has accepted the providedAngels of Care as a disability provider. There were no other submissions and therefore the RFP was closed.
DEPARTMENTACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Site Observation January 2025 Report: The Site Observation Summary Chart indicates the center visits made by the Health & Nutrition Manager, the Child Development, Family Empowerment, Health, Nutrition and Special Services Specialists for the month of January 2025. All GCCSA Site visits are required to provide support and meet the needs of children and staff at GCCSA Head Start and Early Head Start Centers.
HS/EHS Professional Development:
• Aseries of mental health training sessions were held for all staff. Staff received certification in Mental Health First Aid from Mr. Michael Towers, By speaking of Your Success, LLC.
• Mental Health Provider,ANC-D Psychological Services conducted a parent training at Foster Elementary titled “Having a conversation with your pediatrician.”
• CenterAdministrator CACFP Enrollment Form Training
• Family Service Specialist & Family Empowerment CACFP Enrollment Form Training
• Texas Department ofAgriculture Community Call
UPCOMINGACTIVITIES/EVENTS/TRAINING HOSTED BY DEPARTMENT:
February 3
New Hire Orientation
Standing Meeting HS/EHS/CACFP
February 4 Fun Run Committee Meeting
February 10 GCCSAHS/EHS Management Team Meeting
February 13 Specialists’Outcomes Meeting (MDT II & III) Support Services Team Meeting
February 18 CS/HSAssistant Directors’Meeting
February 19 GCCSAStorytime Standing Meeting HS/EHS/CACFP
UPCOMING CONFERENCES TRAININGS HOSTED OUTSIDE OF GCCSA:
February 20 BCM Chef EDAdvisory Board Meeting
Nick Young Music & Movement Head Start Videos! Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3saHjG3ni0Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B19IRibgOgQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx4API_Di0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7gPrcQ2ZiE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_SJmHwqceU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qBbm7myNLI
REQUIRED TRAININGS:
• CDA Training
• Civil Rights Training (annual)
• CLASS and Teacher Success Rubric
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• 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 (overview)
• Disability & Mental Health Training & Social Emotional Development for Children
• SIDS/ Shaken Baby training.
