FY26 FA1 Is About Your Systems—Not Just Your Files

Here’s How to Prepare (Without Panic)

Monitoring season can feel like a scramble: find the files, chase the missing signatures, pull the “right” report, and hope nothing slips through the cracks.

But in the Office of Head Start (OHS) FY26 Focus Area 1 (FA1) Program Systems Review Information Session, the message came through clearly: FA1 is designed to understand how your program systems work—how you use data, how decisions get made, and how your team maintains safe, high-quality services for children and families.

As someone who supports Head Start agencies with operational tools and implementation strategy, I found the guidance extremely practical—and honestly reassuring.

Here’s what stood out, what it means for programs, and how a system like GoEngage can help teams show their work clearly and confidently.

What OHS will focus on in FY26 FA1

OHS outlined four core FA1 content areas:

1. Program Design, Management, and Improvement (PDMI)

2. Fiscal Infrastructure

3. Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance (ERSEA)

4. Supporting Safe and Healthy Learning Environments (SSHLE)

The important shift isn’t just what they review—it’s how they learn about it.

Across these areas, OHS repeatedly emphasized structured monitoring activities like kickoffs, data tours, discussions, file reviews, and observations/explorations—designed to see your systems in action.

PDMI: Expect to talk about your “why,” not just your org chart

In PDMI, OHS is looking for how your program uses data to drive planning and improvement—including your self-assessment, ongoing monitoring, and community assessment.

They also highlighted governance and oversight: what data you share, how governing bodies use it, and how you support participation through training and engagement.

Monitoring activities in PDMI include a Management Team Kickoff, data tours, and discussions (including education staff, governing body, and policy council).

How GoEngage can support PDMI readiness

This is where teams often benefit from having one place to:

• Centralize key evidence (community assessment outputs, monitoring notes, action plans)

• Turn “we do this” into “here’s our documented process”

• Make governance visible (meeting cadence, membership, shared reports, decision records)

In other words: you’re not preparing extra work—you’re organizing the work you already do, so it’s easy to demonstrate during data tours and discussions.

Fiscal: Be ready to show real-time oversight—and real transactions

OHS provided a clear breakdown of fiscal focus areas:

• Budget development and budget-to-actual variance management

• Financial management systems, payroll, and recordkeeping

• Internal controls (policies, reconciliation, drawdowns, monitoring)

• Allowable costs, cost allocation, procurement

• Facilities/equipment and insurance

They also emphasized that some fiscal documentation should be provided before the review begins, including items like the most recent audit, subrecipient/delegate contracts, fiscal policies/procedures, and a detailed general ledger.

And during the review, fiscal includes a Fiscal Data Tour plus Transaction Testing, with reviewers selecting samples (including payroll-related items) to verify implementation.

How GoEngage can support fiscal preparedness (without turning finance into chaos)

While GoEngage is not an accounting system (and can complement your budgeting process), it plays an important role in keeping FA1 preparation organized and review-ready.

• Assign who is responsible for which uploads/requests and track completion

• Maintain a clean “monitoring-ready” repository of policies, approvals, and supporting documentation

• Document the operational side of internal controls (workflows, approvals, separation of duties, evidence trails)

That means your fiscal lead isn’t chasing people down in email the week of monitoring—your team can run the process like a project.

ERSEA: Your system matters as much as your files

For ERSEA, OHS emphasized not only eligibility and enrollment practices, but also training, selection criteria grounded in community assessment, vacancy tracking (fill within 30 days), and fraud prevention.

OHS also outlined the monitoring approach: an ERSEA Data Tour (if you haven’t checked out our ERSEA Data Tour—you need to!) plus an Eligibility File Review (note: this file review is not conducted with Tribal programs).

How GoEngage can support ERSEA confidence

ERSEA is often where programs lose time—not because they don’t have processes, but because evidence is scattered.

GoEngage can help teams:

• Track eligibility workflows consistently (so the process is repeatable across staff turnover)

• Monitor vacancy timelines and follow-up tasks (so “30 days” doesn’t surprise you)

• Standardize training completion records and refreshers so you can demonstrate staff preparedness

When reviewers ask “how do you know this is accurate?” the best answer is a system that makes accuracy routine.

SSHLE: Safety is a system—prove it through practice

SSHLE combines safe and sanitary environments and education/child development indicators. Reviewers will look for systems around:

• Emergency preparedness

• Background checks within required timeframes

• Daily safety checks and preventative maintenance

• Incident reporting processes

• Safety and hygiene practices (sleep safety, allergies, active supervision, etc.) 12162025_FY26 FA1 Information S…

And SSHLE includes data tours, education staff discussions, and center/classroom/socialization explorations.

How GoEngage can support “monitor and address at the same time”

The SSHLE reality is: you don’t just need to have policies—you need to show how you operationalize them.

GoEngage can support:

• Routine checklists and recurring safety logs (so “daily checks” are truly daily)

• Assignment + follow-up when an issue is identified (so it’s not just documented—it’s resolved)

• Better visibility into patterns (so you can reduce risk before it becomes a finding)

The real takeaway: FA1 rewards organized programs—not perfect programs

OHS framed FY26 monitoring resources as transparent and accessible, directing programs to HeadStart.gov for protocols and related guides.

And the tone of the session was consistent: this review is intended to reduce surprises by making expectations clearer and helping programs prepare using the same guides reviewers use.

The programs that feel most confident heading into FA1 usually aren’t the ones with the least problems—they’re the ones with:

• A clear system

• A consistent workflow

• Documentation that matches practice

• A way to turn follow-up into action

That’s exactly where tools like GoEngage can make preparation lighter, not heavier.

Extra support when it matters most

Monitoring week can be intense. Multiple activities, limited time, and real-time questions can put added pressure on even the most prepared teams.

That’s why GoEngage provides FA1 and FA2 First Responder support throughout your review week. Our goal during FA1 and FA2 is simple: remove friction so your team can stay focused on the review, not on tracking down answers or troubleshooting under pressure.

During this time, your program is flagged internally for priority response, ensuring that when your staff reaches out—whether it’s a quick clarification or help locating information—your request is handled promptly and escalated as needed.

Our leadership team is aware when agencies are having a review, and support is aligned to help you move through the review smoothly and confidently.

Preparing for FA1 or FA2 doesn’t have to be overwhelming

FA1 and FA2 reviews are much easier to manage when preparation is proactive—not reactive. GoEngage partners with agencies year-round to reduce last-minute stress and support confident review readiness.

We offer:

• A FREE Compliance Partner Review midway through your annual subscription to identify gaps early and prioritize next steps

• Targeted training options to prepare staff and managers before monitoring begins

• Structured consulting services to help your team organize documentation, strengthen systems, and walk into review week prepared

Whether you’re planning for an upcoming FA1 or FA2—or want to be ready before the 45-day letter arrives—we’re here to support you.

👉 Let’s talk about training and consulting options that fit your program’s needs