--- title: "Don't Wait for the Deadline: Building a Head Start Reporting Rhythm | Next Leap HSA" description: A free 30-minute session for Head Start leaders on building a reporting rhythm that surfaces gaps weeks before the deadline. Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 1PM ET. image: https://nextleaphsa.com/hubfs/next-leap-hsa-webinar-monitoring.png --- ![Next Leap Head Start Associates](https://nextleaphsa.com/hubfs/nextleaphsa-logo-full-color-rgb-1.svg "Next Leap Head Start Associates") Free Webinar | 30 Minutes  # Don't Wait for the Deadline: Building a Head Start Reporting Rhythm Learn how to create earlier visibility into program progress so you can identify gaps, ask better questions, and support your team before critical timelines arrive. Wednesday, September 16, 2026 1PM ET  •  12PM CT  •  11AM MT  •  10AM PT [SAVE YOUR SEAT](https://nextleaphsa.com/head-start-reporting-rhythm-webinar#save-your-seat) ![hosted-by-ken-baker-2](https://nextleaphsa.com/hs-fs/hubfs/hosted-by-ken-baker-2.png?width=1000&height=1000&name=hosted-by-ken-baker-2.png "hosted-by-ken-baker-2") ## A different Day 45 for every child. None of these clocks start on a program-wide date. Each one starts the day a child first attends. A program still enrolling through September is tracking a different Day 45 for nearly every child on the roster. 45 Days Developmental screening 45 Days Vision and hearing screening 90 Days Health and oral health determinations  That is not something you can hold in your head. It is something a system should track for you.   Requirements referenced: current Head Start Program Performance Standards, 45 CFR [§1302.33](https://headstart.gov/policy/45-cfr-chap-xiii/1302-33-child-screenings-assessments) and [§1302.42](https://headstart.gov/policy/45-cfr-chap-xiii/1302-42-child-health-status-care). Programs operating 90 days or less work from a 30-day clock. ## Who Should Attend? Head Start and Early Head Start leaders responsible for program oversight, reporting, operations, compliance, and data. That includes Program Directors, Compliance and Operations leaders, Data Managers, and program staff who own follow-up. ![head-start-audience-1](https://nextleaphsa.com/hs-fs/hubfs/head-start-audience-1.png?width=1200&height=1200&name=head-start-audience-1.png "head-start-audience-1") ## A deadline tells you when something must be done. A Reporting Rhythm tells you whether you’re on track to get there. The first 90 days bring overlapping responsibilities, timelines, reporting requirements, and competing priorities. Knowing the deadline matters. However, waiting until the deadline to review progress leaves little time to understand what is getting in the way or where a team may need support. In this 30-minute session, Ken Baker shows you how to build a simple Reporting Rhythm that gives leadership visibility **before** critical timelines arrive. ## What you will learn In this 30-minute session, you will learn: - **A way to catch gaps weeks earlier** instead of at the deadline - **A better question to ask when something is behind:** "What is getting in the way?" rather than "Why isn't this done?" - **A method for looking beneath the number** at staffing, workflow, training, data entry, capacity, and systems - **A simple structure for your own Reporting Rhythm:** what to review, how often, who owns it, and what happens when something needs support #### Ready to build your Reporting Rhythm? Save your seat for this free 30-minute session. Can’t attend live? Register anyway and we’ll send you the replay. [SAVE YOUR SEAT](https://nextleaphsa.com/head-start-reporting-rhythm-webinar#save-your-seat) ![Kenneth Baker, Head Start & ChildPlus Guru](https://nextleaphsa.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kenneth%20Baker%2c%20Head%20Start%20%26%20ChildPlus%20Guru.png?width=600&height=600&name=Kenneth%20Baker%2c%20Head%20Start%20%26%20ChildPlus%20Guru.png "Kenneth Baker, Head Start & ChildPlus Guru") #### About Ken Baker Ken Baker has spent more than 22 years inside Head Start programs and the data systems they run on. He works with programs on database structure, reporting readiness, and documentation, and he founded Next Leap Head Start Advisors to do that work full time. His approach is practical rather than theoretical. Most reporting problems are not staff problems. They are system problems, and they are fixable. Out of that work he developed Reporting Rhythm, a simple structure for reviewing progress before deadlines arrive.   ### Save Your Seat      Complete the form below to register for the free webinar on September 16, 2026. © 2026 Next Leap Head Start Advisors