October 18, 2021
A recent federal monitoring review of the RPC’s Early Childhood Education program confirms some of the great work being done on behalf of families and children in Champaign County. The Focus Area 1 Review, completed virtually in July, focused on the RPC’s performance and compliance in the areas of financial and management systems, program services and procedures, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and community and family engagement.
“On September 20, our program received a positive review report from the Office of Head Start,” says Brandi Granse, Early Childhood Division Director. “The report indicated that there were no concerns, non-compliances, or deficiencies. I am so proud of the hard work, dedication, and services we provide to children and families within our community. We have a wonderful program.”
During the Focus Area 1 Review, grantees like the RPC are given the chance to highlight the strength of their program design, explain how the community assessment has informed their program design, and detail how their program goals will positively impact the community they serve. Grantees will also demonstrate how they have aligned their budget to support program design and goals.
By understanding the foundation for a program’s services, management systems, and governance, Focus Area 1 sets the stage for interpreting a program’s performance over time. Reviewers learn about the goals a grantee has identified for their program, and how the grantee has set up the infrastructure of the program to support progress toward these goals. The Office of Head Start then determines how well grantees have done this work and provide them with feedback on how to improve their program’s design moving forward.