Head Start

Within our federal grants practice, over the years Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP has garnered significant experience with clients who run federal Head Start and Early Head Start (collectively, “Head Start”) programs across the country. The Firm counsels these clients on matters stemming from the Head Start Act, the Head Start Program Performance Standards, and specific program guidance from the Office of Head Start (“OHS”) at the Administration for Children and Families (“ACF”). We also help Head Start clients to untangle the many federal grants rules such as financial requirements, procurements, property, non-federal share, as well as how best to prepare for and respond to monitoring reviews and audits.

Our attorneys lead Head Start-specific trainings across the country, both live and via on-demand webinars. We cover the Head Start landscape from governance, to eligibility determinations, to human resources issues, to fiscal issues, and more. For more information on our current offerings, please see the FTLF Registration Site.

Coupled with our regulatory compliance counseling and trainings for Head Start programs, we also advise and counsel organizations running Head Start programs that need assistance challenging program monitoring findings, government audits, cost disallowances or grant terminations. Not only have we advised numerous programs on how to fix their specific non-compliances and deficiencies, but on behalf of our clients, we have challenged decisions at the OHS level, and brought Head Start client matters before the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Departmental Appeals Board (“DAB”) and in the federal courts.

Representative Activities:

• Interpreting the Head Start Act and the Head Start Program Performance Standards and program guidance;
• Advising on Head Start requirements, options and obligations;
• Analyzing OMB Common Rules and other federal rules for Head Start programs;
• Drafting “Delegate” (Sub-recipient) and Vendor Agreements;
• Negotiating with OHS on various client matters;
• Challenging monitoring review and audit findings, cost disallowances and grant terminations;
• Teaching about Head Start compliance matters.

Representative Clients and Trainees:

• Non-profit single purpose Head Start agencies;
• Community Action Agencies and other multi-purpose agencies;
• For-profit entities running Head Start programs;
• Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs;
• American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal governments;
• School districts;
• Supergrantees;
• City and local governments administering Head Start programs;
• Associations focusing on Head Start and early childhood issues.

Representative HHS Departmental Appeals Board Decisions:

• Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now, Inc., No. 2002 (2005)
• South Plains Community Action Agency, No. 1639 (1997)
• Home Education Livelihood Program, Inc., No. 1598 (1996)

For more information on our Head Start services, please contact Ted Waters at ewaters@ftlf.com or Zoë Beckerman at zbeckerman@ftlf.com.