Provide your agency information to help inform the HSC Board

Head Start California was scheduled to launch registration for our Policy & Leadership Conference (May 18-20) on Monday, March 16. We are delaying attendee and Corporate Partner registration until after the matter is discussed with the Board of Directors on March 23, 2020.

At this time, we have not made a decision about whether or not to cancel the conference. There are many unknowns at this moment. We cannot know or control to what degree:

• The spread of the virus will accelerate or slow down.
• California’s recommended guidelines on gathering will be extended or lifted after March 2020.
• HSC member agencies will impose travel bans on employees, including conference attendance.
• Potential presenters will be able to travel.

COVID-19 is affecting businesses and nonprofits, including the airline and hotel industries, and associations like ours – who rely on those industries to support our conferences. Head Start has always been and remains dedicated to lifting up families at risk by focusing on health as one of the primary levers of change. While young children are not at particular risk for COVID-19, as a health-conscious community, we are concerned about the entire community and how our various connections make it possible to contribute, unintentionally, to the spread of the virus.

To inform our decision, we are:

1. Continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 and the guidance from CDC, WHO and the Governor’s administration.
2. Internally discussing how can we be creative and flexible in delivering content to our members in ways that are effective and engaging and minimize risk to our attendees.
3. Reaching out to the event hotel, our speakers, and to you to gather information. Please use this link to answer four quick questions about your plans to send staff to the Policy Summit and/or the Managers and Directors Institute.

Thank you for your patience and support as we move through this uncertainty together.

Christopher Maricle
Executive Director
Head Start California