Head Start of Washington County Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Head start and early head start programs serve children from birth to age 5. These programs specialize in a comprehensive family approach to early childhood education with an emphasis on school readiness. Our program serves around 375 children and their families each year. Head start is a multi-generational program, serving low income or otherwise at-risk children, pregnant women, and families from a variety of backgrounds. Head start agencies are mandated to reduce the impact of risk factors by providing healthy child development services to include education, family supports, health, nutrition and referrals to community services. Strengthening families as the primary nurturers of their children is a hallmark objective of the head start program. Performance standards require a high quality of care and overall culture of continuous quality improvement. Classroom teachers visit families in their homes twice per school year. Every family is also assigned a family advocate to help them identify and reach goals related to providing a safe and nurturing home environment. Families are linked to any community resources that may be necessary to make this possible. Research has shown that children make significant increases in their school readiness scores with increased time in a structured classroom setting. To continue to receive our funding, the agency is required to raise a 25% match to all federal dollars received. At our current funding level, the 25% equates to 1,702,950 through individual, company and/or foundation donations. For this reporting year a 16% waiver was granted by the awarding agency. We have continued to look at new and creative ways to increase our in-kind contributions and have seen success with these efforts. Contributions of any size are always welcome and allow us to reach our required match and enable us to request additional funds in the future we humbly ask for your help to continue serving the neediest children and families in our community.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 90.7%; rating input score 91
• Program expense ratio: 91.6%; rating input score 92
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 1%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.57; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.42; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings