Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

We collaborate with agencies in the community that are able to support you in the process of getting health insurance for you and your child. In general, our program can connect you with different medical and dental services in the community as needed.

Our program will work with you to obtain the proper medication forms completed by your child’s physician in order to administer any medication while your child is in our care. Our Health Services staff trains teachers in your child’s classroom on how to administer medication and implement any accommodations suggested by your child’s doctor.

No, our teaching staff is trained on common health conditions children may have. We also contract with nursing consultants that are available to support our program as needed.

We will work with you to bring your child up-to-date. Keep in mind that an appointment card for the next immunization(s) will be required for your child to be enrolled.

No. Head Start provides meals at no charge to parents by utilizing the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

Because Head Start is a sponsor of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), we will work with each parent to ensure every child enrolled in the program is provided for nutritionally. Parents will need to complete some paperwork and/or have their pediatrician complete a form. Upon receipt of the necessary documents, our Registered Dietitian and highly trained staff will alter or craft a menu specific to your child’s needs.

Our Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Services staff are always available to answer your questions about the food children are served, the menu, and nutrition related practices.

Every day, children in our program participate in toothbrush activity in the classroom. We also collaborate with dental offices in the community to bring oral health education as well as dental screenings to all children in the program.

Yes, copies of the monthly menus is available for parents on the parent board.

CCRC Head Start has a Central Kitchen located in Van Nuys where all foods are prepared. We collaborate with our facilities team to deliver the foods to the centers each day.

Per the CACFP Regulations and Meal Pattern, we offer 1% Fat Free Milk.

The goal of the IFSP is that all services are conducted in the home environment with the primary care taker. It is also important to consider that the addition of service providers in the smaller EHS classrooms can be disruptive to the children.

However, if a caregiver believes they can demonstrate a need for a service at the EHS center they have the option of submitting a request through the center director. Approval or denial of the request is determined by the Education and Inclusion supervisors.

Yes you can. This is called a Change of Placement request and can take up to 30 days from the child’s 1^st day of school. These are the steps to begin the request:

1. Caregiver signs a Release of Information form
2. The assigned Inclusion Specialist is notified and waits for child to officially start school
3. Inclusion Specialist submits a copy of child’s birth certificate along with a Student Action Request (SAR) form to LAUSD Headquarters
4. LAUSD receives the request and has 30 days to schedule an IEP meeting with caregiver and Head Start staff to make the Change of Placement official. (Note: the IEP meeting is held at the HS site)

*It is highly recommended the child continue their services at the elementary school until the Change of Placement is official. *

A special day class will usually have a smaller classroom size and credentialed teachers, which is useful in meeting the needs of some children with developmental delays.

Head Start teachers are not credentialed special education teachers. The classrooms are also larger and have more children. Our curriculum is also less structured than a special day class. It is important to take this into consideration and will forward your case to the Inclusion Service Area for further guidance.

As the most important adult in your child’s life, you are our best source of information to get to know both your family and your child!  Families are encouraged to share their traditions with their child’s center, as family traditions and holidays are an important part of our curriculum.  Program staff will provide you with activities you can do at home with your child to extend the learning they are experiencing in the classroom.  You can also share with teacher’s pictures and activities that capture what your child is learning at home for them to use in your child’s developmental assessment.  Information about what your child likes and dislikes is important as it can inform the types of materials and experiences available to your child in the classroom. Parents are always welcome to meet with their child’s teachers and assist in the planning of activities that will be offered in the classroom.

From volunteering in the classroom to leading parent activities at your center, participating in workgroups at our main office to plan for the upcoming school year to being part of a hiring panel conducting program staff interviews, the active participation of parents is always welcomed and supported!  Some activities, especially those in the classroom require additional health clearance such as immunizations. Please connect with your program staff to get more information.

Yes we do! Program staff at each center/location will partner with parents to design a parent education program that meets the needs expressed by parents.  As applicable, monthly workshops on various topics will be held at each center.

Our curriculums are researched based and have been chosen with the help of parents and staff to ensure ease of use by parents and staff.  We are currently using two different curriculums:

Center based for all ages: Creative Curriculum

Home based: Parents as Teachers (PAT)

We utilize our outdoor and indoor environment as an additional way to encourage learning and exploration. Both indoors and outdoors play a key role in our teaching approach.

• The environment is welcoming and culturally representative of community
• The layout of the environment promotes relationships, communication, socializing with peers and adults, and exploration.
• Materials are thoughtfully added to the environment to promote creativity, problem solving skills, experimentation and open-ended play.

At a minimum, CCRC follows the California Licensing Requirement for children based on age groups:

CCRC provides for your child’s basic needs including diapers, wipes and food. On the first day, please bring the following with your child’s name:

• Light weight blanket
• Soft comfort toy for rest time

Your child will be active during classroom activities and should dress in comfortable and washable clothing should be worn.

•  Although we do allow bare feet at times, we insist on safe shoes for specific activities, such as bike riding.
• Being barefoot in the infancy and toddler years is a practice we encourage as it supports brain and large muscle development. Therefore, we encourage bare feet in our infant and toddler classrooms.
• Children will not be turned away if they are not wearing closed toes shoes, but for safety reasons, the teaching team may limit activities for the day.