Services

Upshur Human Resources, Inc., Head Start program is focused on developmentally appropriate language, social, emotional and physical development, science, literacy, creative arts, social studies,and math and that each child receives nutritional meals, snacks and safe drinking water. Safety of the children is our utmost priority.

Disability Services

Upshur Human Resources, Inc. Head Start ensures enrolled children with disabilities and their families receive all applicable program services delivered in the least restrictive environment and that they fully participate in all program activities. Our program ensures that 10 percent of the total funded enrollment includes children eligible for services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

Upshur Human Resources, Inc. provides services to children with IEPs (Individual Education Program) in our classrooms and modify assessments to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Occasionally providers work with the children in small groups and from time-to-time individuals are provided services in a quiet environment outside the classroom and then reintroduced into the classroom. IEPs are written for children with disabilities and the local LEA (Local Education Authority) provides occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physical therapist, and special education teachers to provide services as written into the IEP. Teachers, parents, and all relevant personnel participate in the IEP plan. Teachers receive a copy of the IEP and incorporate the goals into their lesson plans. Aides are assigned according to the IEP. Parents are provided progress reports three times a year by LEA personnel. Teachers also conduct parent teacher conferences that update the progress of the children.

Educational Services

Our agency provides each child with an individualized learning opportunity. We screen each child using the Brigance screening tool and create lessons using AppleTree, Every Child Ready Curriculum. Our certified teachers create lesson plans to be utilized in the classrooms. Each of our classrooms has learning centers for the children to explore and move through while learning social and emotional and other academic skills. We collaborate with the Local Education Authority (LEA) to help those children who need Individual Education Program (IEP)s while in our centers. We communicate with parents through many different methods and encourage their feedback and ideas for the classrooms, as they are an integral part of our agency. Our classrooms provide a print rich environment that is academically focused to be a great experience for each child. We want to provide a great learning experience for the children, while also encouraging the parent to be their child’s first teacher. The teachers plan field trips and special activities to give more opportunities to further the children’s learning.

E.R.S.E.A.
(Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance)

Eligibility

How Head Start programs assess the needs of communities and recruit children and families most in need.

Recruitment

A year-round, systematic process with specific efforts to actively locate and recruit children with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness or living in foster care, and other vulnerable children.

Selection

A program must annually establish selection criteria that weigh the prioritization of selection of participants, based on community needs identified in the community needs assessment and including family income, whether the child is homeless, whether the child is in foster care, the child’s age, whether the child is eligible for special education and related services, or early intervention services, as appropriate, as determined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education and other relevant family or child risk factors.

Enrollment

Head Start programs promote young children's school readiness and foster the self-sufficiency of low-income families. Achieving and maintaining full enrollment is the primary goal of ERSEA services. Full enrollment requires targeted strategies for identifying and addressing the needs of current and future children, families, and communities.

Attendance

A program must implement a process to ensure children are safe when they do not arrive at school. If a child is unexpectedly absent and a parent has not contacted the program within one hour of program start time, the program must attempt to contact the parent to ensure the child’s well-being.

Family & Community Engagement

Upshur Human Resources, Inc. Head Start Family and Community Engagement includes community partnerships with organizations within our community that promote the overall betterment of our Head Start Families through learning opportunities and resources. From these associations we can derive mutual benefits for our community. Head Start Family Engagement incorporates strategies into our program services to support family well-being and promote children’s learning and development. We recognize parents as their children’s primary teachers. We apply strategies to involve parents in their children’s learning and development, support parent-child relationships, including father engagement strategies. Our family and community engagement area collaborates with families in a family partnership that includes needs, interests, strengths, goals, and services and resources that support family safety, health and well-being and economic stability. Parents are included in every aspect of our program including the governing body and standing committees in all areas. In addition, parents can participate in our program as employees or volunteers.

Fiscal/Human Resources

Upshur Human Inc. Fiscal/Human Resource component establishes, maintains, and supervises the organizational accounting system in accordance with federal and state regulations, to effectively track all funds received and expended by the agency. Provide fiscal integrity through the implementation of sound internal controls. To assist in establishing and maintaining agency policy and procedures encompassing federal and state regulations to ensure an effective human resource department.

Health Services

Upshur Human Resources, Inc. Head Start program provides high-quality health and oral health services that are culturally and developmentally appropriate to support each child’s growth and school readiness. We offer vision and hearing testing as well as dental exams by a local dentist. Head Start partners with parents to ensure the health and well-being of their children in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner.

Nutrition Services

Upshur Human Resources, Inc. Head Start provides culturally and developmentally appropriate nutrition services. Our program meets the nutritional needs of and feeding requirements of each child including special dietary needs, children with disabilities, and encourage serving family style meals. Our program serves USDA required meals and snacks to three-to five-year-old children that are high in nutrients, low in fat, sugar, and salt. All children are served a nourishing breakfast upon arrival, healthy snacks and meals, and safe drinking water throughout the day.

Safety Services

Upshur Human Resources, Inc. Head Start Safety Supervisor establishes, implements, and enforces safety practices that ensure that children are safe, and staff trained. This includes fire drills, evacuation drills, shelter in place, lockdown drills, fully equipped and up to date first aid kit and an Emergency Preparedness Plan.