PARTICIPATION IN HEAD START PROGRAMS.

SEC. 112. PARTICIPATION IN HEAD START PROGRAMS. (a) Regulations.—Section 645(a)(1) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)) is amended— (1) by striking “provide (A) that” and inserting the following: “provide— “(A) that”; (2) by striking “assistance; and (B) pursuant” and inserting the following: “assistance; and “(B) pursuant”; (3) in subparagraph (B), by striking “that programs” and inserting “that— “(i) programs”; and (4) by striking “clause (A).” and inserting the following: “subparagraph (A); and “(ii) a child who has been determined to meet the low-income criteria and who is participating in a Head Start program in a program year shall be considered to continue to meet the low-income criteria through the end of the succeeding program year. In determining, for purposes of this paragraph, whether a child who has applied for enrollment in a Head Start program meets the low-income criteria, an entity may consider evidence of family 112 STAT. 2719income during the 12 months preceding the month in which the application is submitted, or during the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the application is submitted, whichever more accurately reflects the needs of the family at the time of application.”. (b) Sliding Fee Scale.—Section 645(b) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: “A Head Start agency that provides a Head Start program with full-working-day services in collaboration with other agencies or entities may collect a family copayment to support extended day services if a copayment is required in conjunction with the collaborative. The copayment charged to families receiving services through the Head Start program shall not exceed the copayment charged to families with similar incomes and circumstances who are receiving the services through participation in a program carried out by another agency or entity.”. (c) Continous Recruitment and Acceptance OF Applications.—Section 645(c) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: “Each Head Start program operated in a community shall be permitted to recruit and accept applications for enrollment of children throughout the year.”. (d) Off-Reservation Area.—Section 645(d)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840(d)(1)(B)) is amended by striking “a community with” and all that follows through “Indian Affairs” and inserting “a community that is an off–reservation area, designated by an appropriate tribal government, in consultation with the Secretary”.