November 3, 2026
FY27 Head Start federal monitoring resources have been updated and posted to HeadStart.gov. With federal reviews underway and programs receiving notifications of upcoming reviews, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the tools early. Doing so will allow plenty of time to prepare for planned and unannounced reviews.
Here, we summarize some of the key formatting and content updates to the FY27 Review Protocols and Review Guides. Note that this is not an exhaustive summary. We encourage you to review the protocols and guides carefully to identify any changes.
Review Protocols
First, the FY27 Focus Area 1 (FA1) and Focus Area 2 (FA2) review protocols no longer specify that programs will receive notification from the Office of Head Start (OHS) during the summer informing them they will have a review in the upcoming program year. Language was also removed from the protocols indicating that programs would then receive a 45-day notice letter. Now, the protocols simply state that “OHS will send a Review Notification Letter to notify grant recipients that will receive an FY27 FA1 Review” (or FA2 review). This doesn’t necessarily mean that programs will not receive 45 days’ notice; however, it is no longer explicitly stated.
In the FA2 Review Protocol, under FA2 Review Approach, it states that during the review there will be “discussions with program staff members and families of enrolled children.” Language identifying the “governing body and policy council” as participants in discussions was removed. The governing body and policy council are still listed in the FA1 Review Protocol. It is worth noting that while the governing body and policy council are no longer explicitly included in the FA2 protocol, we recommend that a comprehensive approach to preparation still include these key stakeholders in the event their participation is needed or requested once the review team is onsite.
Review Guides
To help programs prepare for monitoring reviews, OHS also released updated FA1 and FA2 Review Guides. Unlike in past years, when there were individual guides for each content area, the FY27 review guides have been consolidated into a single document. A “Review Overview” section was added to the beginning of each review guide, providing more details about the approach for conducting the review and the activities that will take place before and during the review. We recommend using the review guides to prepare and ensure alignment with OHS expectations.
There are other smaller but noteworthy updates in the review guides. For example, in the FA2 Review Guide, under Fiscal Infrastructure, there is a list of documents that the review team will request during the Fiscal Data Tour. New for FY27, the list now includes “recent W2 forms for highly compensated staff.” This was also added to the FA1 Review Guide, along with “recent audits and corrective action plans,” which did not appear in last year’s fiscal review guide. Additionally, in the ERSEA section of the FY27 FA1 and FA2 Review Guides, “enrollment reporting in HSES” was added as documentation for the ERSEA Data Tour.
Again, our summary does not include all updates OHS may have made between FY2026 and FY2027 monitoring. We encourage you to thoroughly review the protocols and review guides. This includes carefully reviewing the lists of documentation that may be required or requested during a review, particularly for the data tours, to ensure you are prepared.
If your program anticipates a federal monitoring review this program year, we encourage you to explore Foundations for Families’ Consulting Services. If you need assistance preparing for a federal review, please contact us. Our team of consultants will work with your program to determine a process, timeline, and approach that is the best fit for your needs.
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