ILEarlyChildhoodCollab.org | Early Education Tool

Adapted from Ohio’s Early Education Partnership Development Tool
Elements of a Successful Partnership Agreement/Contract*

	Issue Discussed	Emerging Strategy	Incorporated into Contract	Date Reviewed/ Status
Administration/Management
Contractual Period, Times & Review Process
Number of Children to be Served
Hours/day, Days/week, Weeks/year
Signature Provision of Key Parties
Financial Agreement & Payment Procedures
Start-up Resources/Costs or 1-time improvements: supplies, equipment, renovation
Direct Resources: stipends, reimbursements, purchase of services, 1-time expenses
Indirect Resources: staffing, supplies, equipment
Invoice & Payment System
Contract Amendments, Contract Renewal & Termination
Liability/Insurance
Conflict of Interest/Prohibited Activities
Dispute Resolution & Grievance Procedures
Reporting
Record Keeping
Coding and Tracking of Child Data
Transfer of Information
Confidentiality
Documentation of direct & indirect resources, number of children served by area, number of families served
Services & Staffing
Role of each agency/program
Implementation of federal and state regulations
Head Start Program Performance Standards: Child Development & Health, Family & Community Partnerships, Program Design & Management
Illinois Early Learning Standards
DCFS Licensing Standards
Other
Documentation of Children’s Progress/Outcomes: federal & state
Key Positions: Staff Qualifications, Joint Interview, Hiring, Salaries, Benefits, Reporting Structure, Performance Evaluations, Personnel Policies, Roles/Responsibilities
Teachers, Assistants, Support Staff
Case Manager/Family Support/Social Service Staff
Partnership Manager/Coordinator

	Issue Discussed	Emerging Strategy	Incorporated into Contract	Date Reviewed/ Status
Professional Development
Sharing & Coordinating of Pre-service, In-service & Other Educational Opportunities
Plan of Action to Meet Degree/Staff Qualifications Requirements
Individual Professional Development Plans
Resource Needs: financial, scheduling, personnel (e.g., substitutes, additional staff, etc.)
Quality Assurance/Communications
Program Compliance with Local, State & Federal Regulations & Policies
Process of Exchange/Notification of Alleged/Documented Licensing/Audit/Federal Review Issues and/or Child Abuse, including plans/strategies to address
Assistance for Parents in Transition (lost employment, etc.)
Participation in Annual Program Self-Assessment (if Early/Head Start
Participation in Triennial Federal Review (if Early/Head Start)
Development & Implementation of Continuous Improvement Plans
Frequency of Partnership Meetings & Who Organizes/Calls
Frequency of Visits to Centers/Homes
Monitoring Process
Networking of All Partners (wider group beyond program collaboration)
Other

*Programs may consider working with a financial and/or legal specialist to develop agreements/contracts and any corresponding policies and procedures. As a legal document, the agreement/contract protects all partners’ best interests. To limit the number of pages in the partnership agreement, many partnership programs include an addendum that describes how the partnership conducts business.

Document prepared by the Ohio Head Start/Child Care TA Workgroup, OH Head Start Collaboration Office, OH Family & Children First, May 2001.

Some items adapted for Illinois use – IDHS Head Start State Collaboration Office.