GULF COAST COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATION Head Start/Early Head Start Support Services Monthly Narrative February 2026 LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES: ▪
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Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) The January 2026 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) claim was completed and submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) for reimbursement. In January there were 17 food service days for the month. There were 15 eligible sites and 1,385 eligible children. The number of meals provided: 4,686 breakfasts; 4,779 lunches and 16,477 PM snacks served. Expected reimbursement for the month is $55,729.58. Two of our newest Head Start centers are eligible for CACFP per receipt of the Child Care License, DeAnda & Reynolds. Program year 2026 Administrative and Center Review of Child and Adult Care Food Program – The Program Year 2026 Administrative and Center Review for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) has been scheduled. Notification was received from Ms. Kimberly Friedmann, Compliance Review Monitor II with the Food & Nutrition Division of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), confirming the review will take place the week following Spring Break, March 16–20. The selected focus centers are Early Head Start, Pasadena Head Start, and Richey Road Head Start and the test month is November 2025. The notification also included a comprehensive list of over 200 required documents that must be uploaded into the TX-UNPS system. Alleged Child Abuse Policy and Procedures Update – The Head Start staff will work with the Human Resources staff to review the Alleged Child Abuse Procedures and submit recommendations of update to the GCCSA Leadership Team. February Story Time – Ms. Karen Baker, co-vice president of the Community Projects with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation read to the children and staff one of her favorite books, “Love is My Favorite Thing”. The book was written by Emma Chichester Clark. The story follows an enthusiastic dog named Plum, who has many favorite things—catching sticks, her teddy bear, and her cozy bed—but above all, she loves LOVE the most. Plum cherishes her family and the time they spend together. While her excitement sometimes leads to a bit of mischief, the story beautifully highlights that love is powerful and unconditional. Even when Plum makes mistakes, she is always adored by her family. ▪ The GCCSA team continue to plan for an exciting literacy event for children and their families to be held in May. They also continue to prepare for the upcoming Head Start FA2 review. ▪ The Assistant Director serves on Baylor University’s CHEF-Ed Study Advisory Board Committee and attended the advisory board meeting this month.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT (CD): ▪ Early Head Start themes taught this month included Toddler Theme 6, Shapes and Sizes. During Week 1, children learned about circles and began recognizing basic shapes to build early skills. In Week 2, the focus was on squares and shape recognition. Week 3 introduced triangles, helping children recognize their distinct appearance. Week 4 focused on hearts and stars, which are commonly among the first shapes children recognize due to their presence in holiday decorations. Children also explored Theme 6, Creative Me, where Week 2 focused on Recycled Treasures, teaching children how to transform everyday discarded items into creative treasures. Week 3 emphasized Experimenting, encouraging children to 100 days of school was celebrated at Richey HS in Ms. Nieto and explore different solutions through creative thinking and Ms. Luna’s classroom! problem-solving. Week 4 focused on Designing and February 2026 Monthly Report
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