A – 013 How should a Head Start program value parent volunteer time for purposes of claiming non-federal share?
The value of the time should be equal to what it would have cost the program to employ someone to do the task for which the parent had volunteered. (It is important to note that for something to be allowable as non-federal it needs to be something for which grant funds could have been used). For example, if a parent is volunteering in the classroom, that parent is, in effect, functioning as a second teacher assistant and the average hourly rate for an assistant in that program (salary and benefits) would be a reasonable charge. If a parent volunteered to help paint the exterior of a Head Start center, then the program can fairly charge as non-federal what it would have cost to hire a painter to do the same work. Programs must ensure that all parent volunteer time is adequately documented.
