Tribal Consultation Meetings

AGENCY:

Office of Head Start (OHS), Administration for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice of meetings.

SUMMARY:

Pursuant to the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, Public Law 110-134, notice is hereby given of three 1-day Tribal Consultation Sessions to be held between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, OHS leadership and the leadership of Tribal Governments operating Head Start (including Early Head Start) programs. The purpose of these Consultation Sessions is to discuss ways to better meet the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native children and their families, taking into consideration funding allocations, distribution formulas, and other issues affecting the delivery of Head Start services in their geographic locations [42 U.S.C. 9835, section 640(l)(4)].

DATES:

March 7, 2016, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

June 8, 2016, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

August 8, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Locations:

• March 7, 2016—Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104.
• June 8, 2016—Arlington Renaissance Capital View Hotel, 2800 South Potomac Avenue, Arlington, Virginia 22202.
• August 8, 2016—Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 North Hayford Road, Airway Heights, WA 99001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Angie Godfrey, Regional Program Manager, Region XI/AIAN, Office of Head Start, email Angie.Godfrey@acf.hhs.gov, or phone (202) 205-5811. Additional information and online meeting registration is available at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/calendar/tc2016.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

HHS announces OHS Tribal Consultations for leaders of Tribal Governments operating Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The agenda for the scheduled OHS Tribal Consultations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Arlington, Virginia, and Spokane, Washington, will be organized around the statutory purposes of Head Start Tribal Consultations related to meeting the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native children and families, taking into consideration funding allocations, distribution formulas, and other issues affecting the delivery of Head Start services in their geographic locations. In addition, OHS will share actions taken and in progress to address the issues and concerns raised in the 2015 OHS Tribal Consultations.

The Consultation Sessions will be conducted with elected or appointed leaders of Tribal Governments and their designated representatives [42 U.S.C. 9835, section 640(l)(4)(A)]. Designees must have a letter from the Tribal Government authorizing them to represent the tribe. Tribal Governments must submit the designee letter at least 3 days in advance of the Consultation Session to Angie Godfrey at Angie.Godfrey@acf.hhs.gov. Other representatives of tribal organizations and Native nonprofit organizations are welcome to attend as observers.

A detailed report of each Consultation Session will be prepared and made available within 45 days of the Consultation Sessions to all Tribal Governments receiving funds for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Tribes wishing to submit written testimony for the report should send testimony to Angie Godfrey at Angie.Godfrey@acf.hhs.gov either prior to each Consultation Session or within 30 days after each meeting. OHS will summarize oral testimony and comments from the Consultation Session in each report without attribution, along with topics of concern and recommendations.