Since 2001, the Office of Head Start has funded the  ECHO Initiative to provide Early Head Start grantees and delegates with training and technical assistance to implement up-to-date hearing screening and follow-up practices with children 0 - 3 years of age.  One aspect of that is helping staff to become aware of relevant Head Start Performance Standards, including:  

• Grantees or delegate agencies must provide for hearing screening of all children within 45days of a child's entry into the program, (45 CFR 1304.2), and...
• The disabilities coordinator at each program must arrange for further, formal evaluation of a child who has been identified through screening as possibly having a disability (45 CFR 1308.6).

Additional policy clarifications suggest that:  

• A sensory screening tool must be used to identify potential hearing concerns rather than a paper screening tool (OHS-PC-B-025).

Also, because objective hearing screenings are rarely conducted by health care providers, it may be more: 

• Efficient and effective for programs to provide uniform screening for all children using objective screening instruments (OHS-PC-B-038).

OAE screening is recognized by the Office of Head Start as satisfying the Performance Standards and as the appropriate tool to use with children under three years of age being served in early childhood care settings.  Watch a short, 5-minute video reviewing Performance Standards related to hearing screening to learn more:    

Fulfilling the Performance Standards by providing evidence-based hearing screening can make a "sound difference" in young children's language development and school readiness!!