[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 45, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 45CFR1301.31]

[Page 95-96]
 
                        TITLE 45--PUBLIC WELFARE
 
CHAPTER XIII--OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 
                           AND HUMAN SERVICES
 
PART 1301_HEAD START GRANTS ADMINISTRATION--Table of Contents
 
             Subpart D_Personnel and General Administration
 
Sec. 1301.31  Personnel policies.

    (a) Written policies. Grantee and delegate agencies must establish 
and implement written personnel policies for staff, that are approved by 
the Policy Council or Policy Committee and that are made available to 
all grantee and delegate agency staff. At a minimum, such policies must 
include:
    (1) Descriptions of each staff position, addressing, as appropriate, 
roles and responsibilities, relevant qualifications, salary range, and 
employee benefits (see 45 CFR 1304.52(c) and (d));
    (2) A description of the procedures for recruitment, selection and 
termination (see paragraph (b) of this Section, Staff recruitment and 
selection procedures);

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    (3) Standards of conduct (see 45 CFR 1304.52(h));
    (4) Descriptions of methods for providing staff and volunteers with 
opportunities for training, development, and advancement (see 45 CFR 
1304.52(k), Training and development);
    (5) A description of the procedures for conducting staff performance 
appraisals (see 45 CFR 1304.52(i), Staff performance appraisals);
    (6) Assurances that the program is an equal opportunity employer and 
does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, religion 
or disability; and
    (7) A description of employee-management relation procedures, 
including those for managing employee grievances and adverse actions.
    (b) Staff recruitment and selection procedures. (1) Before an 
employee is hired, grantee or delegate agencies must conduct:
    (i) An interview with the applicant;
    (ii) A verification of personal and employment references; and
    (iii) A State or national criminal record check, as required by 
State law or administrative requirement. If it is not feasible to obtain 
a criminal record check prior to hiring, an employee must not be 
considered permanent until such a check has been completed.
    (2) Grantee and delegate agencies must require that all current and 
prospective employees sign a declaration prior to employment that lists:
    (i) All pending and prior criminal arrests and charges related to 
child sexual abuse and their disposition;
    (ii) Convictions related to other forms of child abuse and neglect; 
and
    (iii) All convictions of violent felonies.
    (3) Grantee and delegate agencies must review each application for 
employment individually in order to assess the relevancy of an arrest, a 
pending criminal charge, or a conviction.
    (c) Declaration exclusions. The declaration required by paragraph 
(b)(2) of this section may exclude:
    (1) Traffic fines of $200.00 or less;
    (2) Any offense, other than any offense related to child abuse and/
or child sexual abuse or violent felonies, committed before the 
prospective employee's 18th birthday which was finally adjudicated in a 
juvenile court or under a youth offender law;
    (3) Any conviction the record of which has been expunged under 
Federal or State law; and
    (4) Any conviction set aside under the Federal Youth Corrections Act 
or similar State authority.
    (d) Probationary period. The policies governing the recruitment and 
selection of staff must provide for a probationary period for all new 
employees that allows time to monitor employee performance and to 
examine and act on the results of the criminal record checks discussed 
in paragraph (b) (1) of this Section.
    (e) Reporting child abuse or sexual abuse. Grantee and delegate 
agencies must develop a plan for responding to suspected or known child 
abuse or sexual abuse as defined in 45 CFR 1340.2(d) whether it occurs 
inside or outside of the program.

(The information collection requirements are approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0970-0148 for 
paragraph (b).)

[61 FR 57225, Nov. 5, 1996, as amended at 63 FR 2313, Jan. 15, 1998]