2012-5438. 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 one-day Tribal Consultation Sessions to be held between the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start 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 22 and April 3, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

2012 Office of Head Start Tribal Consultation Sessions will be held at the following locations: Thursday, March 22, 2012—Phoenix, Arizona—Sheraton Crescent Hotel, 2620 West Dunlap Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85021; Tuesday, April 3, 2012—Billings, Montana—Holiday Inn Grand Montana 5500 Midland Road, Billings, MT 59101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Camille Loya, Acting Regional Program Manager Region XI, email [e-mail] or phone [phone]. Additional information and online meeting registration is available at http://www.headstartresourcecenter.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces Office of Head Start (OHS) Tribal Consultations with leaders of Tribal Governments operating Head Start (including Early Head Start) programs for each of the nine geographic regions of Head Start where American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) programs are located. We are convening the OHS Tribal Consultations in conjunction with other Tribal Leader events in order to minimize the financial and travel burden for participants. The sessions in Phoenix, Arizona, and Billings, Montana, are being held in conjunction with the HHS 2012 Regional Tribal Consultation Sessions. We will schedule additional consultations around the country for later in the year.

The agenda for the scheduled OHS Tribal Consultations will be organized around the statutory purposes of Head Start Tribal Consultations related to meeting the needs of AI/AN 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 2011 OHS Tribal Consultations.

Tribal leaders and designated representatives interested in submitting written testimony or proposing specific agenda topics for these Consultation Sessions should contact Camille Loya at [e-mail]. Proposals must be submitted at least three days in advance of the session and should include a brief description of the topic area, along with the name and contact information of the suggested presenter.

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. The letter should be submitted at least three days in advance of the Consultation Session to Camille Loya at [phone] (fax). 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 90 days of the Consultation Session 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 Camille Loya at [e-mail] either prior to the Consultation Session or within 30 days after the meeting.

Oral testimony and comments from the Consultation Sessions will be summarized in each report without attribution, along with topics of concern and recommendations. Hotel and logistical information for all Consultation Sessions has been sent to tribal leaders via email and posted on the Head Start Resource Center Web site at http://www.headstartresourcecenter.org.

Dated: February 28, 2012.

Yvette Sanchez Fuentes,

Director, Office of Head Start.