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I. Areas of Noncompliance Corrected On Site Determination Noncompliance: 1304.53 Facilities, materials, and equipment. (a) Head Start physical environment and facilities. (10) Grantee and delegate agencies must conduct a safety inspection, at least annually, to ensure that each facility's space, light, ventilation, heat, and other physical arrangements are consistent with the health, safety and developmental needs of children. At a . minimum, agencies must ensure that: (iii) Flammable and other dangerous materials and potential poisons are stored in locked cabinets or storage facilities separate from stored medications and food and are accessible only to authorized persons. All medications, including those required for staff and volunteers, are labeled, stored under lock and key, refrigerated if necessary, and kept out of the reach of children Response: Our agency has changed the safety-monitoring instrument to state that all flammable and other dangerous materials and potential poisons are stored in locked cabinets separate from stored medications and food and are accessible only to authorized persons. Also, center education manager checks weekly to ensure all cleaning materials, dangerous materials, and potential poisons are locked and only accessible to authorized persons. II. New Area of Noncompliance Determination Noncompliance: 1304.20 Child health and developmental services. (b) Screening for developmental, sensory, and behavioral concerns. (1) In collaboration with each child's parent, and within 45 calendar days of the child's entry into the program, grantee and delegate agencies must perform or obtain linguistically and age appropriate screening procedures to identify concerns regarding a child's developmental, sensory (visual and auditory), behavioral, motor, language, social, cognitive, perceptual, and emotional skills (see 45 CFR 130S.6(b)(3) for additional information), To the greatest extent possible, these screening procedures must be sensitive to the child's cultural background. Response: Our agency has developed a plan of action to ensure all visual and auditory screenings are completed with 45 calendar days of the child's entry into the program. Staff has been trained to conduct the vision screenings by the Ohio Prevents Blindness Association. Local students in training to become Registered Nurses and other local Registered Nurses have volunteered to come on-site to conduct hearing screenings. An improved monitoring system is in place to alert responsible staff of children not having vision and hearing screenings completed 30 calendar days after entry into the program so action can be taken to ensure each child has proper screenings within 45 calendar days of entry into the program. Noncompliance: 1304.22 Child health and safety. (b) Conditions of short-term exclusion and admittance. (2) Grantee and delegate agencies must not deny program admission to any child, nor exclude any enrolled child .frorn program participation for a long- term period, solely on the basis of his or her health care needs or medication requirements unless keeping the child in care poses a significant risk to the health or safety of the child or anyone in contact with the child and the risk cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level through reasonable modifications in the grantee or delegate agency's policies, practices or procedures or by providing appropriate auxiliary aids which would enable the child to participate without fundamentally altering the nature of the program. Response: Our agency has changed our policy stating children may attend all centers on start date and have 30 calendar days to obtain physical examination before our agency is required to exclude children from attending until they have a physical examination as required by State of Ohio Daycare regulations. Our intent as an Early Head Start and Head Start agency is to assist each family to have their child on a schedule of primary and preventive healthcare. These strategies have been developed to assist all families:  A health education booklet has been developed to explain all medical requirements. A parent educator will assist with parent during enrollment and will be in contact with parent on a regular basis to assist with medical requirements An improved medical monitoring system is in place to ensure staff are aware of families who may need special assistance 2 weeks prior to 30day requirement Our goal is to ensure there will be no interruption of service for children attending center option. Noncompliance: 1304.52 Human resources management. (d) Qualifications of content area experts. Grantee and delegate agencies must hire staff or consultants who meet the qualifications listed below to provide content area expertise and oversight on an ongoing or regularly scheduled basis. Agencies must determine the appropriate staffing pattern necessary to provide these functions. (2) Health services must be supported by staff or consultants with training and experience in public health, nursing, health education, maternal and child health, or health administration. In addition, when a health procedure must be performed only by a licensed/certified health professional, the agency must assure that the requirement is followed. Response: The agency's Head Start and Early Head Start program has a written agreement with a registered nurse who will act as a health consultant to provide services to staff, parents, and children. The consultant will be available a minimum of 12 hours monthly, but may work more hours if necessary to provide quality services to children and families. The written agreement outlines specific functions the health consultant will provide for Early Head Start and Head Start. Noncompliance: l304.52 Human resources management (k) Staff and volunteer health. (1) Grantee and delegate agencies must assure that each staffmember has an initial health examination (that includes screening for tuberculosis) and a periodic re-examination (as recommended by their health care provider or as mandated by State, Tribal, or local laws) so as to assure that they do not, because of communicable diseases, pose a significant risk to the health or safety of others in the Early Head Start or Head Start program that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation. This requirement must be implemented consistent with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Response: Our agency has developed a policy to assure each staff member has an initial health examination that includes screening for tuberculosis and a periodic re- examination every 3 years including tuberculosis re-screen. A computer monitoring program has been put into place whereas, Human Resource management staff will monitor, contacting staff prior to due dates to assist each staff member to obtain examination prior to due date. Noncompliance: l304.53 Facilities, materials, and equipment. (a) Head Start physical environment and facilities. (10) Grantee and delegate agencies must conduct a safety inspection, at least annually, to ensure that each facility's space, light, ventilation, heat, and other physical arrangements are consistent with the health, safety and developmental needs of children. At a minimum, agencies must ensure that: (x) The selection, layout, and maintenance of playground equipment and surfaces minimize the possibility of injury to children; Response: All playground surfaces at Norwood School have wood chips in fall zone surfaces at least 4" deep. Staff has been assigned to rake chips daily to distribute wood chips evenly (4" deep). Staff responsible to rake wood chips daily will report to Education manager when new chips need purchased. Education manager will request a purchase order and inform assigned staff to purchase and distribute wood chips. This process is ongoing. Noncompliance: Sec. 648A STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT [42 U.S.C. 9843a] (a) Classroom Teachers- 3) ALTERNATIVE CREDENTIALING AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS- The Secretary shall ensure that, for center-based programs, each Head Start classroom that does not have a teacher who meets the qualifications described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (2)(A) is assigned one teacher who has the following during the period specified: (A) Through September 30, 2011-- (i) a child development associate credential that is appropriate to the age of children being served in center-based programs; (ii) a State-awarded certificate for preschool teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements for a child development associate credential; (iii) an associate degree in early childhood education; (iv) an associate degree in a related field and coursework equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children; or (v) a baccalaureate degree and has been admitted into the Teach For America program, passed a rigorous early childhood content exam, such as the Praxis II, participated in a Teach For America summer training institute that includes teaching preschool children, and is receiving ongoing professional ` development and support from Teach For America's professional staff. Response: All classroom Head Start teachers have qualifications for center-based teachers. Our Human Resource Manager has developed a process to monitor lassroom teacher and staff qualifications to prevent this from happening in the future. Sincerely, Sandra Matthews Board Chairperson The Community Action Program Corp. of Washington - Morgan Counties, Ohio |
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Washington-Morgan Community Action Washington and Morgan Counties, Ohio |
218 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750 (740) 373-374550 W. Third Street, PO Box 398, Malta, OH 43758 (740) 962-3827 |