What is Head Start?
Head Start is a federally funded child development program for very low-income young children, children with disabilities and their families. Head Start was founded in 1965 as part of America's "War on Poverty." The program's mission was simple: prepare low-income, preschool-aged children for success in school. Head Start serves children and their families in urban and rural areas in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Territories, including American Indians and migrant children. Since its inception, more than 20 million children and families nationally have benefited from Head Start's comprehensive services.
To this day, every child who enters the program still receives high quality educational programming that includes the development of pre-reading and numeracy skills. Given that Head Start serves America's poorest children, including many homeless families, the program also provides a full battery of comprehensive services. Some of these services include nutrition services, immunizations, physical and mental health screenings as well as follow-up treatment.
Also, because Head Start believes that children will not be successful without serving the whole family, Head Start provides parents with parenting classes, family literacy training, and even GED and job placement services. Unlike many other social programs, Head Start has always maintained its founding principle of empowering low-income families. In Head Start, parents are not passive clients but are actively involved in their child's education whether by volunteering in the classroom or participating on parent policy councils, which serve as a governing board of Head Start programs. As an example of Head Start parent involvement, in 2002, 29% of Head Start program staff members were parents of current or former Head Start children, and over 867,000 parents volunteered in their local Head Start program (HSB, 2002). Head Start encourages fathers to be active participants in their childrens' education. As a result, more than 133,000 Head Start fathers participated in organized regularly scheduled activities designed to involve them in Head Start and Early Head Start programs (HSB 2002).
Enrollment in Head Start is based on total family income being at or below the Federal poverty income. For example, to qualify for Head Start, a family of four can earn a maximum of $20,000 annually. Children with disabilities are able to participate in Head Start without meeting income guidelines. There are other enrollment criteria as well.
Why Head Start Works
Head Start has always been a federal-to-local program - federal funds are directly injected into the local community. This federal to local structure allows each grantee to meet the unique needs of their community. The funding structure has respected the fact that local communities know how to best meet their changing needs. Further, funding to a variety of agencies: non-profits, community action agencies, school districts etc. allows local flexibility. The Head Start Performance Standards ensure that programs maintain high quality services across diverse communities and grantees.
To ensure that all children enrolled in Head Start gets what they need, each program is required to follow what are called Program Performance Standards. These standards ensure that in each classroom size remains small, that every child is up-to-date on their immunizations, that every child receives a mental, dental and physical health screening, and that there is follow-up treatment when necessary. The Performance Standards also mandate that parents be involved in the education of their children. Head Start is closely monitored. Every three years programs go through an intensive one-week review to make sure they are complying with these standards.
Head Start Continues to Receive Outstanding Reviews
- 85% of Head Start programs got high marks under the latest federal monitoring evaluations
- Head Start gets the highest customer satisfaction score of any government agency. In fact, the program has earned better customer-satisfaction scores than major companies like Mercedes-Benz and BMW
- In June 2003, a study done by the University of California at Los Angeles and Riverside, found that for every dollar invested in Head Start, society receives a return of nearly nine dollars.
The Children's Defense Fund Releases Head Start Report Card
The Children's Defense Fund report card shows how Head Start makes the grade and how Congress can make it better.
Why Nevada Needs Head Start
Head Start's success has been measured through extensive independent and government studies demonstrating significant long-term gains. Dr. Steven Barnett, of Rutgers University, found that Head Start children are less likely to need special education services, less likely to repeat grades, and more likely to have higher graduation rates.
This research is particularly important for Nevada, where the high school drop out rate ranks 48th in the nation (Kids Count, 2003). Among those students who dropout, minority students rank the highest. This has implications for Nevada's Head Start programs as they primarily serve minority populations.
An additional study done by the University of California at Los Angeles found that Head Start graduates, in comparison to their siblings who did not attend Head Start, are more likely to attend college and are less likely to be charged with a crime. Again, this is an important finding for Nevada where the percentage of high school graduates who go on to higher education is one of the lowest in the nation, and the juvenile custody rate in Nevada ranks 42nd in the nation (DCFS, 2002). Head Start is a sound investment for Nevada's children for its future as a state.
Last Updated: Thursday, March 04, 2004
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