Special Education Listserv
Subject: Memorandum of Understanding Between Early Head Start/Head Start and System Points of Entry/Local Educational Agencies
Source: CJ Hubbard, Assistant Director, Compliance
Intended Audience: Special Education Contacts, Directors of Special Education, ECSE Staff, SPOEs, First Steps Providers, SICC, RICC
Date: March 6, 2009
This is to notify local education agencies (LEAs) providing Early Childhood (EC) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Services and individuals providing First Steps services that a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), outlining the joint responsibilities for serving children birth to three years and three to five years is available on our website at http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/documents/Head_Start_Memo.pdf.
This document was developed collaboratively through committees made up of representatives of families, school district Early Childhood (EC) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs, First Steps, Head Start, Missouri Council of Administrators of Special Education (MO-CASE), and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in an effort to facilitate communication and coordination between DESE and Regional/State Head Start Offices/Associations.
Early Head Start/Head Start grantees are required to develop local agreements and plans with the relevant agencies in their geographic areas. It is the expectation that personnel in Head Start, LEAs, and System Points Of Entry (SPOEs) will use this document as a guide in working together to address the needs of children with disabilities and create local collaborative agreements responsive to the needs of their communities. Please share this information with the appropriate staff in your local school district or SPOE agency.