There are more than 1700 US federal mandates that govern all activities of US funded head start programs, which includes BHSP.Every three years, a federal review team, comprised of a minimum of 6 and a maximum 25 persons, would do an on-site review of each head start program to ensure that each program complies with federal specifications pursuant to the federal mandates.
After a head start program has been reviewed, it will receive a detailed report; and depending on the seriousness of any federal compliance failures identified, a follow-up visit of the review team would be scheduled to assure that improvements are made.Any head start program that does not make improvements or resolve identified noncompliance issues of the federal mandates is likely to lose funding.According to BHSP officials, every personnel of the BHSP and relevant entities and individuals who work closely with the program are meticulously going over every detail of the services BHSP provides to ensure that the program complies with the federal mandates.A federal review awareness workshop for BHSP teachers, teachers’ aides, and cooks was held last Friday at Medalaii Head Start Center.“We have to make sure that everyone understands the significance of the federal review,” said a BHSP official.“We must make sure that everyone, from the cooks to program supervisors are in tune with the federal mandates.”According to the official, last Friday’s workshop is the first of many to come before the review.Moreover, the sparsely spread BHSP centers does not allow for a one time workshop for all BHSP personnel.“We have divided our personnel into small working groups,” the official said, “in order that individual concerns are addressed proficient and efficient manner.”BHSP, like all Head Start and Early Head Start programs in the US, provides a multitude of services – education, social services, health, nutrition, and parent involvement – which would all undergo the scrutiny of the federal review team within the next few months.“We have not been informed of the definite date of our programs anticipated review,” the official said, “But it is going to happen this year and we must make certain that BHSP does not lose its funding and continues to provide its services to the people of Palau.”
