Sure Start Program Guide

Sure Start Program Guide August 2018 Page 6 • All learning for young children is interrelated, and children learn academic skills at the same time that they master social/emotional and physical skills. • All children learn through play and benefit from adults who understand how to build upon children’s natural desire to learn about the world around them. • All children have different learning styles that need to be accommodated, taking into account their individual types of intelligences, including emotional intelligence. • All families must have knowledge of and access to community resources and social services that address their needs if they are to provide their children with a secure and stimulating environment that supports their children’s social and academic success. • Family involvement in children’s educational experiences is crucial to children’s success. Children flourish when their families and schools provide consistent messages about learning and development. • Preschool programs must link College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS), curriculum, instruction, and assessment to those of the later grades to provide children with a seamless transition between preschool and kindergarten. Eligibility Sure Start’s first responsibility is to the four-year-old child, who turns four by September 1 of the enrolling school year, of a military or eligible Department of Defense (DoD) employee whose rank is Enlisted (E) E1-4; General Schedule (GS) GS1-4; or Non Appropriated Fund (NAF), NAF 1- 2 1 rank equivalent at the date of application. (Note that the application date is not to exceed six months before the first day of the following school year). Eligibility for the Sure Start program does not extend to students who are non-DoD-sponsored or to children who are geographically in a non-DODEA site. Please se e DoDEA Regulation 1307.01, DoDEA Sure Start Program f or eligibility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It is important to note that only the sponsor’s rank is used to determine eligibility—not family income, unless it is used to determine rank equivalents for NAF Levels 1-4 or rank equivalent GS1-8 . Any sponsor in the range of E5-9, GS5-8, or NAF 3-4 rank equivalent who wishes to apply for the program is eligible to do so with the understanding that first priority is given to those children whose sponsor is in the E1-4, GS1-4 rank equivalent, or NAF 1-2 rank equivalent range. Further explanation of eligibility requirements can be found in Chapter 7, Program Logistics and Administration. Background Information The DoD operates two educational systems for the children of military and civilian DoD families: Child Development Programs (CDP) and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools. CDP offers child care and before- and after-school care to dependent children from 6 weeks to 14 years of age. DoDEA educates students from pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) through 12 th grade and offers programs in overseas schools for selected preschool-aged children, such as those with disabilities or in Sure Start 1 NAF Rank Equivalent: The NAF rank is used to determine Sure Start eligibility for the dependents of NAF employees. The NAF employee rank uses different banding levels than its counterparts (i.e. Enlisted (E) Service members or GS civilian employees). In order to determine the priority order for enrollment in the Sure Start program, the NAF employee rank must be at the level equivalent to the enlisted Service member and GS civilian employee.