ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance)
The NCWVCAA HS/EHS Program serves a nine-county service area that includes Barbour, Marion, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker, Webster, and a Delegate, Monongalia County through Monongalia County Board of Education. A full range of comprehensive services are provided to expectant families and families with children birth to five including children with disabilities that include education and child development, health, nutrition/safe environments, and family and community engagement. All Head Start child development services are provided in a full-day center-based option while Early Head Start services are provided in both the full-day center-based and home-based options.
Age Requirements
* Early Head Start: Except when the child is transitioning to Head Start, a child will be an infant or a toddler younger than three years old.
* Head Start: A child will be:
- At least three years old or, turn three years old by the date used to determine eligibility for public school in the community in which the Head Start program is located; and,
- No older than the age required to attend school.
Verifying age
Program staff will verify a child’s age utilizing a Certificate of Live Birth or Courthouse Records, as long as this does not create a barrier for the family to enroll the child. For expectant mothers, verification from a healthcare provider of pregnancy and expected delivery date will be viewed. *Note: Collaborations may require Certificate of Live Birth for age verification.
Verifying eligibility
To verify eligibility based on income, program staff will use tax forms, pay stubs, or other proof of income to determine the family income for the relevant time period.
If the family cannot provide tax forms, pay stubs, or other proof of income for the relevant time period, program staff may accept written statements from employers, including individuals who are self-employed, for the relevant time period and use information provided to calculate total annual income with appropriate multipliers.
Does my family qualify for the Head Start program?
Your family qualifies for the Head Start program if your household income is at or below the poverty level. Check the Poverty Guidelines to see if your family qualifies.
The Head Start Center-based option primarily in collaboration with Boards of Education and Child Care Centers also known as Universal Pre-K offers services to preschool age children in full-day classrooms that are located in Head Start operated classrooms or in Boards of Education, Boards of Education operated classrooms, and Child Care Center operated classrooms.
The Early Head Start Center-based option in collaboration with the Board of Education serves infants and toddlers in a child development lab setting as well as expectant parents. This option offers parents and high school students as well as community participants the opportunity to observe and participate in appropriate child development practices. Home-based services are provided to enrollees during the summer months when the classroom is not in session.
The Early Head Start Home-based option offers a minimum of forty-six (46) weekly home visits of an hour and a half to each family. Staff in partnership with parents use the home as the child’s primary learning environment. Twenty-two (22) socializations are scheduled throughout the 12 month year to provide opportunities for parents and children along with other enrolled families to interact in an educational type setting while networking about topics such as developmentally appropriate milestones and activities.
