Volunteer

Head Start

• Assist with toothbrushing and hand washing routines
• Assist with dual language learners; translation and interpretation services 
• Read to children
• Relieve staff for breaks
• Third person in the room to aid the assistant and teacher
• Center art projects - Bulletin boards, classroom art projects
• Provide field trip opportunities; drive for a field trip and/or chaperone a field trip
• Provide training opportunities for staff and parents
• Assist with meal prep and service
• Community gardens
• Grounds maintenance 
• Event and program planning
• Assist as needed throughout the centers
• Serve on the Board, Policy Counsel, or Health Advisory Committee

VITA

You can help by:

• Preparing and filing income tax returns with filers; or
• Greeting filers, managing appointment schedules; and Helping filers learn about ways to save and stretch their refunds; or
• Translating languages for volunteers and filers

What you need:

• Experience using computers
• Time to volunteer Mid-January through Mid-April 2019
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills

What's in it for you?

VITA is a meaningful, unique experience for the volunteers and filers. As a volunteer, you’ll:

• Learn valuable, lifelong skills that can be used personally or professionally.
• Obtain an IRS certification to build your resume
• Make a difference in the community where you live. Each tax return completed by a volunteer could raise a family’s earned income by an average of $1,850

If you have time, you can: 

5 Minutes

• Reflect on what is important to you and what changes you want to see
• Stop and talk with your child’s teacher. Share what you appreciate about him or her. Ask what you can do to contribute to the classroom
• Ask your child’s teacher about arranging a meeting with your child’s future kindergarten teacher to prepare for that transition
• Share online petitions on issues that are important to you with your social networks

15 Minutes

• Talk to other parents to find out what questions, concerns, or suggestions they have about your Head Start or Early Head Start program. Ask program staff about opportunities to express these thoughts and ideas
• Ask about the community issues that other parents are concerned about when you see them at the park, the grocery store, a birthday party, or other events. Brainstorm together about solutions and action steps
• Find out who your legislators are. Follow them on social media to learn about their priorities for children and families
• Contact your local representatives or senators to tell them what you think about issues that are important to you

1 Hour

• Volunteer in your child’s classroom or attend an event at your Head Start or Early Head Start program
• Meet with your child’s current preschool teacher and new kindergarten teacher together to share information about your child
• Join a Head Start Parent Committee or attend a Policy Council meeting to share thoughts and ideas about the program with program staff and community members
• Write a letter or email to the editor of your local newspaper, or post on social media, and express your concern about a community topic that needs more attention and action

1 Day

• Volunteer when your program organizes a family or community event. Make suggestions or offer to lead an activity
• Get together with other interested families to talk about how to start children in a new classroom or school program
• Participate in your Head Start or Early Head Start program’s efforts to influence State policy by sharing your story
• Start a petition to address a community issue and talk to neighbors and friends to gather signatures and plan future action

Childcare licensure requires the following:

Volunteer Records (120 or more hours per year): For any person who volunteers in a child care facility for 120 or more hours per licensure year, a record shall be kept which contains the following:

1. Name, date of birth, address, and phone number.
2. Documentation of education, training, and experience that may help them in their role as a volunteer.
3. Date individual began volunteering and last date individual volunteered at facility.
4. Mississippi State Department of Health Certificate of Immunization Compliance Form 121.
5. Documentation that the criminal records check (fingerprinting), child abuse central registry check, and sex offender registry check have been conducted (Letter of Suitability for Employment), and the information included in each volunteer’s file.
6. Documentation of a minimum of one hour of volunteer orientation, within one week of volunteering, including but not limited to, the child abuse law and reporting requirements, emergency exit procedures, policies for handling dangerous situations, and the facility transportation policy.
7. A volunteer’s record shall be retained for a period of one year after they are no longer volunteering at the facility.
8. A record shall be maintained on each volunteer to document date and number of hours of volunteer service.

Volunteer Records (Less than 120 hours per year): For any person who volunteers in a child care facility for less than 120 hours per licensure year, a record shall be kept which contains the following:

1. Documentation of a minimum of one hour of volunteer orientation within one week of volunteering, including but not limited, to the child abuse law and reporting requirements, emergency exit procedures, policies for handling dangerous situations, and the facility transportation policy and special needs of children.
2. A volunteer’s record shall be retained for a period of one year after they are no longer volunteering at the facility.
3. A record shall be maintained on each volunteer to document date and number of hours of volunteer service.