Head Start Environmental Health & Safety Institute 

Exclusive Two-Day Event

Head Start and Early Head Start Training in Las Vegas

 

Not only have health and safety issues been leading causes of deficiencies for Head Start and Early Head Start programs over the last several years, the emphasis by the Office of Head Start on environmental health and safety shows no sign of weakening.  The transition to five-year grants has brought additional terms and conditions focused on health and safety and the new aligned monitoring system retains a keen focus on environmental health and safety (including facilities) issues.  Meanwhile, best practices continue to evolve, and the Office of Head Start has proposed new health and safety Performance Standards that would give greater weight to those best practices.  Our exclusive, two-day Institute in Las Vegas looks at the areas most likely to give rise to findings, deficiencies, and other issues, and explains what your Head Start or Early Head Start agency can do to avoid environmental health and safety problems.  The curriculum for the Head Start Environmental Health and Safety Institute has been completely updated and revised for 2016 to help your program play it safe and stay out of the recompetition pool.

During the two full days of the Institute, you will explore important Head Start and Early Head Start environmental health and safety topics (including facilities-related issues) in detail, including:

• Common, critical environmental health and safety problems resulting in deficiencies and recompetition that your program must avoid;
• How your program can provide safe environments for classrooms and centers applying the Head Start and Early Head Start Performance Standards and best practices;
• Ensuring that your playgrounds are safe;
• Implementing and integrating Caring for Our Children into your program;
• Having a successful environmental health and safety review under the new, aligned monitoring framework;
• Understanding the Life Safety Code and its relationship to your program;
• Health and safety issues outside the facilities context (including child supervision and appropriate discipline);
• Environmental health and safety issues for non-center-based program options;
• Fulfilling safe transportation requirements;
• Understanding and preparing for the proposed changes to health and safety requirements under the new Performance Standards;
• Important non-safety-related facilities issues that your program cannot afford to ignore; and,
• Effectively addressing environmental health and safety issues.

The Institute will discuss these areas and more to arm you with the critical knowledge about environmental health and safety requirements and best practices needed to operate a high-quality Head Start or Early Head Start program.  You will also have multiple opportunities to ask and get answers to your individual questions about Head Start and Early Head Start environmental health and safety.

AGENDA

The Institute will be held over two days, February 23 and 24, 2016.  The planned agenda for each day is as follows:

Day One (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)

8:00 A.M. On-site Conference Check-in
8:30 A.M. Session I:  Introduction to Environmental Health and Safety
10:00 A.M. Morning Break
10:15 A.M. Session II:  Environmental Health and Safety and the Aligned Monitoring System
11:45 A.M. Lunch (On Your Own)
1:15 P.M. Session III-A:  Creating Safe Environments
2:45 P.M. Afternoon Break
3:00 P.M. Session III-B:  Creating Safe Environments (Continued)
4:30 P.M. Adjourn (Day One)

Day Two (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)

8:00 A.M. On-Site Conference Check-in
8:30 A.M. Session IV-A:  Beyond Facilities: Transportation and Other Health and Safety Issues
10:00 A.M. Morning Break
10:15 A.M. Session IV-B:  Beyond Facilities (Continued)
11:45 A.M. Lunch (On Your Own)
1:15 P.M. Session V:  Beyond Health and Safety: Other Facilities Issues
2:45 P.M. Afternoon Break
3:00 P.M. Session VI: Addressing Health, Safety, and Facilities Issues
4:30 P.M. Adjourn (Institute)

OUTCOMES AND OBJECTIVES

By attending this special, two-day Institute you will gain the legal, regulatory, and technical knowledge needed to comply with Head Start and Early Head Start environmental health, safety, and facilities requirements.  You will:

• Gain a better understanding of the most common problem areas related to environmental health, safety, and facilities, and how your program can avoid these red flag issues;
• Learn how to better prepare for Head Start and Early Head Start environmental health and safety reviews under the new, aligned monitoring framework based on the issues that reviewers will be looking to find;
• Understand the components of an effective monitoring system for environmental health and safety and how to implement effective health and safety monitoring procedures;
• Gain a better perspective on the proposed new performance standards and what they will mean for the future of environmental health and safety and for your program;
• Understand non-facilities related health and safety requirements (including requirements related to human resources management and transportation); and,
• Know how to address key environmental health, safety, and facilities issues.

AUDIENCE

You will benefit from this exclusive Head Start Environmental Health and Safety Institute as an Executive Director, Head Start or Early Head Start Director, Governing Board or Policy Council member, Facilities Manager, Transportation Manager, Center Administrator, or front-line program staff.

REGISTRATION AND PRICING

The number of registration opportunities available for this Institute is extremely limited.  Early Bird registration for the Head Start Environmental Health and Safety Institute is just $399 per person through February 1, 2016.  Regular registration, starting February 2, 2016, is just $449 per person.  Cancellations received before January 26, 2016, will be subject to a $25 administrative fee, and all cancellations on or after January 26, 2016 (but before February 2, 2016) will subject to a $125 administrative fee.  Refunds will not be issued for cancellations on or after February 2, 2016.  In lieu of cancellation, registrants may substitute another participant from his or her organization at no charge.  Please note that the Institute registration fee does not include lodging or transportation; Institute participants are responsible for making their own hotel and transportation reservations.  However, a special room rate has been negotiated for the conference hotel.

Given the limited number of spaces available, at the door registration will not be available for this Institute.  You must register in advance.

HOTEL

The Environmental Health and Safety Institute will take place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Las Vegas Convention Center, which is conveniently located just off the famous Las Vegas Strip.  The hotel offers free shuttle service to and from the Las Vegas Strip.  Rooms are available for a special conference rate of $137 per night (plus tax) for single or double occupancy for the nights of February 22 and 23, 2016; subject to room availability, this rate may also be offered for additional nights.  The special conference rate includes a complimentary breakfast.  Participants are responsible for making their own hotel reservations directly with the hotel.  Hotel reservations can be made by calling 1-800-627-7468.  Please ask for the special group rate for the "TPC Law Group" to receive the discounted conference rate.  The room reservation cut-off date is February 1, 2016 (or until the block is exhausted).  Because the number of rooms available is extremely small, we recommend that you make your reservation as soon as possible.

Register Now!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

R. Brian Tipton is a practicing attorney with more than a decade's experience working with nonprofits and grant-funded organizations across the United States.  Currently, Brian is Managing Director with The Private Client Law Group, P.C., in Atlanta, where he heads the firm's charitable solutions and grant-funded organizations practice.  He is a summa cum laude graduate of the Louisiana State University and the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University.  Brian regularly represents Head Start and Early Head Start programs (as well as other grant-funded entities) in the areas of regulatory compliance, audits, funding source disputes, administrative appeals, and litigation.  Brian also consults with organizations on governance, human resources, programmatic, and corporate matters, and develops and presents training programs for nonprofits and grant-funded entities.