Board approves Head Start'WIC data-sharing MOU; staff says biometric data come from WIC only

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted March 18 to approve a memorandum of understanding enabling data sharing between Head Start and WIC programs to streamline enrollment and services for eligible families.

Marcy Flanagan, assistant county manager, told the board the MOU facilitates information exchange so families enrolled in one program can be quickly identified and offered services from the other. She said the Head Start program does not collect biometric data such as height, weight, or hemoglobin; those biometric measures are part of the WIC medical/nutrition records and are shared in the WIC database, not collected by Head Start. Flanagan said parents are notified of the data sharing and may opt out.

Public commenters raised concerns about the types of data to be shared, naming lists of partner agencies and citing line items in the MOU that reference anthropometric and hemoglobin values. Leslie Shepherd and Luminar Garza asked for missing attachments and for clarity about subrecipient contracts; county staff said many referenced documents are part of existing federal and state agreements and that the county would work with the clerk's office to make attachments available to the public.

Supervisor Stewart asked whether beneficiary families opt into the sharing; staff said families are informed when they enroll and sign consent forms acknowledging information-sharing between the agencies. Supervisor Garrido and other board members who commented emphasized the programs' complementary roles: Head Start provides early childhood education and WIC provides nutrition services.

Supervisor Brophy McGee moved approval of item 45; Supervisor Garrido seconded. The board voted in favor with no recorded opposition. The board also approved a related licensing item for a Head Start facility (item 55) during the same meeting.