Head Start Executive Summary

Head Start is a federally funded, education development program that was created in 1965. The program provides education and services for eligible children from low-income families. Head Start 's philosophy focuses on the development of social-emotional, physical and mental health, nutrition, and working with families and the community and stated “low-income people should help plan and run their own programs” (p. 41-42). Head Start has truly expanded their resources over the years by providing a full school year for ages 3-6 years old and offering services such as health screenings, referrals, and social services (p. 42). Most importantly, each and every Head Start program must follow the federal Head Start Program Performace Standards that address all areas of development (p. 42). The program is truly committed to support low-income families and creating an education system that supports all aspects of the child.

What are the goals of Early Head Start? The goals or priorities of this is to provide safe and developmentally enriching caregiving. To support parent, mother and father, in the role as primary caregivers. The teaching of the children, and family in meeting personal goals. Being able to successfully achieve self sufficiency across a wide variety of domains. Communities being mobilized to provide proper resources and environment that is necessary. But also, to ensure the provision of high quality responsive services for the family. The idea of this topic, is to show the types of things that should be looked for when choosing a child care center. When choosing a child care center for whom it may involve it should be important to look for things like the quality of care, and the type of care and learning techniques that will be involved, while the child is there.

meeting educational, health, social service, and parental needs. “Head Start also wants to help bring about a greater degree of social competence in these children (Mallory and Goldsmith,

Head Start is a federally funded government agency, that provides low income youth with pre-school and health services (Barnett, 2007). However, the long term effects of Head Start are extremely difficult to measure (Lee, Zhai, Brooks-Gunn, Han, & Waldfogel, 2013). Subsequently, Head Start has become one of the most controversial government agencies (Nathan, 2007).

The research finds that participants with the lowest initial skills are the most beneficial from public Head Start programs. But this study also states that Head Start program has lots of limitation. At the beginning of this research paper, the author introduces the history and definition of Head Start program and its main purpose. He states, “The federal Head Start program is the largest early childhood education initiative in the United States, giving matching grants to preschool centers that provide parent training, early education, and health services to poor children and their families” (Healy, 2015, para. 1). As the author emphasis, the Head Start program is not suitable for all children but only offers to children from the low-income families. There are still many families left who need the public

Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs which serve children from birth to age five, pregnant woman and their extended families. They are child-focused programs that have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families. . These programs try to prepare young children intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically for their future educational and social endeavors. ( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002).. The programs prepare the parent(s) to be supportive in the endeavor. Head Start has the philosophy that parents are a child's first and most influential teacher. The Head Start program is beneficial to early learning.

Head Start programs came about in 1964; when President Johnson declared a “war on poverty.” His idea was you must break the cycle of poverty to win the war. The program’s idea was to help break the cycle of poverty by, providing the children of low-income families the ability to meet the emotional, social, health, nutrition, and mental needs. The Parents also are offered resources in higher education, paying utilities, and other needs that are essential to succeed. According to The Basic Head Start Facts Sheet 2011, Head Start is the nation’s first national early education and early childcare program. Since then over thirty-two million children have had assistance with the program; therefore, has caused an increase of twenty-eight percent in High School Graduations (Smith 8). Head Starts main goal is to lower the achievement gap between lower-class and middle-class children.

Early Head Start is a federally funded grant program. Women can apply when they are pregnant and the school is for ages six weeks up to three years old. It helps out the families who are lower income to get their children the education that they need for the early years of their lives. In Early Head Start there are 48 children that are enrolled in school.

The Head Start program offers children a fruitful education, in which they are given the opportunity to thrive. The children receive “free medical and

Due to Head Start success it became a half-day, 9-month program. The federal Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) was responsible for the program. In 1967, Head Start services became so popular that they expanded and offered the service to families with children from birth to three, under The Parent and Child Centers project. In 1969, during President Nixon’s presidency, Head Start moved from OEO to the Office of Child Development, under the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1972, Head Start was further expanded and was authorized to service children with disabilities. 10% of its national enrollment was designated for disabled children. As you can imagine the budget of Head Start was becoming extremely high, as a result in the

As I finish up my last two hours at the Early Childhood Center that resides on the university’s campus, it has been an adventure for me. I have acquired many new skills for the classroom, Shadowing for Ms. Bailey class, room 307 was not an easy process but I got through it. Head Start is located on Winston Salem’s University’s campus in its own secluded area, where students who attend Winston Salem won’t bother. Essentially outside of the university the Early Childhood center is placed in a rough part of town. Around you can find low income based housing, run down gas stations and ABC stores around. That doesn’t stop Head Start from producing the best students they can, their mission statement is to “help low-income families in our community put their children on a path to success in school…and throughout their lives”.

In 1974, Congress enacts the Community Services Act of 1974 which formally recognizes Head Start’s transfer to Health and Human Services, it extended the program for 5 years and created a mandatory formula for the allocated amount given to the State. In 1982, Congress authorizes a $125 million increase in funding. Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1986 allows for children to receive Head Start services for multiple years and it reauthorizes Head Start until fiscal Year 1990. In 1990 Congress passes Head Start Expansion and Quality Improvement Act which allows Head Start to set-aside funding for training. In 1992, Congress passes the Head Start Improvement Act allowing head start to purchase building and give resources to younger sibling and parents. In 1998, The reauthorization revises the purpose of Head Start from the development of social competence to the promotion of school readiness. This reauthorization required at least one teacher in each classroom to have an associate degree. In 2003 Head Start implements Head Start National Reporting System in order to monitor all 4 and 5 years old skills in the program. In 2007, Congress passes The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act. This Act terminated the National Reporting system, increases teachers qualifications and made overall improvements to the programs

The lack of attention given to an individual child’s needs can be observed in the structuring of the classroom at Head Start. The program places

According to the Administration for Children and Families (2010), “Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families” (para. 3). Based on this mission subject, it is possible to subject Head Start to a program evaluation based on the following questions: (a) Is Head Start provisioning educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families? (b) Is the provisioning of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services leading to an enhancement of the social and cognitive development of children? (c) Is the social and cognitive development of children a social good for which taxpayers should pay $7 billion a year? These questions will be addressed, both directly and indirectly, later in this overview.

The outcome is extremely important for the children in this program. It seems that the responsible authorities would ensure that the staff responsible for the Head Start Program would be held accountable for providing a quality program for Head Start. I feel that the teachers in the Head Start program should be held accountable just as though teachers in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade are.