South Dakota Head Start State Collaboration Office (HSSCO)

Contact:

Rayne Dosch, Director

South Dakota Head Start State Collaboration Office.

700 Governors Drive

Pierre, S.D. 57501

Phone: 605-773-4640

Email: rayne.dosch@state.sd.us

The South Dakota HSSCO was funded in 1990 and is located within the South Dakota Department of Education.  The office is directed by Rayne Dosch. 

Head Start Collaboration Offices are charged with facilitating and enhancing coordination and collaboration between Head Start agencies and other state and local entities that provide comprehensive services designed to benefit low-income children from birth to age five, as well as pregnant women and families. To achieve the goals of the Collaboration Office, Collaboration Directors:

 ·     Participate in statewide interagency planning and information/resource sharing efforts addressing services for young children and their families, and promote local Head Start agency representation in these efforts;

·     Promote Head Start agencies’ participation in statewide efforts to enhance or improve early identification and interventions relating to issues of concern for young children and their families;

·        Promote ongoing communication between service providers working with Head Start grantees and other stakeholder to leverage their common interests in addressing the needs of Head Start children and families;

·        Facilitate head Start agencies’ access to and utilization of publicly funded services, so that Head Start children and families can more efficiently and effectively secure needed services; and

·        Convene stakeholder groups for information sharing, planning and other collaborative activities to strengthen family and community environments, and reduce the negative impact of high-risk behaviors on children’s development.

·        helping to build early childhood systems and access to comprehensive services and support for all children.

·        creating partnership agreements and initiatives between Head Start and appropriate state programs/agencies and augmenting Head Start’s capacity to be a partner in State initiatives on behalf of children and their families.

·       facilitating the involvement of Head Start in state policies, plans, processes and decisions affecting low-income families.

·        acting as a conduit for information sharing betweens state agencies, statewide organizations, Head Start programs and Region VIII offices.

 The Collaboration Office Director is addressing these issues through ten federally mandated priority areas. They are:

·       Health Care Services – including mental health

·        Homelessness – including services under the McKinney-Vento Act

·        Welfare – including collaboration with programs such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

·        Child Welfare – including services for children in foster care and children referred by child welfare agencies

·       Child Care Services – including full-working-day and full-calendar-year services available to children who need such services

·        Family Literacy Services – including collaboration with entities providing reading readiness programs

·        Disabilities – including services provided under section 619 or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

·        Community Services – including partnerships with community-based organizations to strengthen families and community environments

·        Education – including services for children with limited English proficiency and alignment of curricula with state Early Learning Guidelines.

·        Professional Development – including access to institutions of higher learning for staff to meet Head Start degree requirements.

 The South Dakota Head Start State Collaboration Office works closely with:

·        the South Dakota Head Start Association

·        the ACF Region VIII office

·        the Office of Head Start

·        the South Dakota Head Start Technical Assistance Team

·        the SD Department of Education, other State Departments and numerous organizations providing services to children and families