LHCD

Eligibility

In selecting the children and families, Head Start and Early Head Start programs must consider the following priorities as stated in Head Start Performance standards 1605.6 (b) (c) and the availability of kindergarten or first grade for the child [PS 1305.6(b)] :

  • Age of the child
  • Family Income
    • Public Assistance / TANF (CALWORKS)
  • Availability of kindergarten
  • Local criteria established based on the Community Assessment

o Homeless Families
o Children with Individual Family Service Plan/Individual Education Plan
o Child in Protective Services / Foster Child
o Returning Child
o Transition from EHS or another HS

  • Teenage Parent
  • Single Parent

Legal Custody

  • Parents with legal custody must submit a copy of the court judgment for our files.
  • For your child's protection, if a parent is not allowed to visit or take a child from the Center, the custodial parent must provide a Certified Copy of a Court Order

Registration Requirements

To be able to register and enroll your child in the program, the following items are needed:

  • Birth certificate
  • Income verification (this information may be obtained from current pay stubs, income tax reports, public assistance documents, etc.).
  • An up-to-date immunization record.

Enrollment Documentation

  •  Birth Certificate
  •  Immunization Records
  •  Proof of Residence (utility bill, ID, etc.)
  •  Copy of medical and dental insurance

Once this information is obtained, the child is ranked based on the ranking scale outlined in the Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance Plan (ERSEA). If the child qualifies for the program, the Family Service Advocate will contact the parents to begin enrollment. Other documents needed for enrollment will be completed with the Family Services Advocate (FSA) as needed.

Requirements for Returning Children

When a child is enrolled in the Program, this enrollment is usually for one Fiscal School Year. The Fiscal School Year for the Early Head Start/Head Start program begins July 1st and ends June 30th, the following year. 

Families whose income is above Federal Poverty Guidelines eligibility needs to be determined on a yearly basis.

Verification of Income

Total countable income means all income on the adults counted in the family size, which are:

  • Gross Wages or Salaries (Veterans Pension, SSI, Survivors Benefits, Unemployment, Disability Workers Compensation)
  • Overtime
  • Tips or additional compensation (bonus, commission)
  • Child Support / Alimony
  • Portion of Student Grants or Scholarships not identified for educational purposes as tuition, books, or supplies

Examples for Income Documentation - Income is for the month preceding certification, or recertification. Current and on-going income documentation may be requested.

  • Employed
    • Release authorization and payroll check stub
    • Release authorization and letter from employer
    • Other record of wages issued by the employer

 Other record of total countable income

  • Copies of the documentation of all non-wage income
  • Self certification of any income for which no documentation is possible
  • If in cash, client list or any form that can be used for verification

 Self-Employed (As many of the following types of documentation as necessary to determine income)

  • Letter from source of income
  • Copy of the most recent signed and completed tax return
  • Other business records, such as ledgers, receipts, or business logs

La Habra Child Development reserves the right to ask for as many additional documents to verify income.