Head Start Alliance for Children and Families Recommends:
 

• Maintain the federal-to-local structure of funding and oversight of Head Start programs in order to uphold national standards.
   
• Increase funding for Head Start by $1 billion for fiscal year 2004 to sustain growth and improvements.
   
• Keep Head Start in the Department of Health and Human Services to preserve the program’s social services to families such as nutrition and medical care.
   
• Amend Title I of the current legislation to make quality improvements while keeping intact the program’s high standards and proven effectiveness. Recommended improvements include: increasing degree requirements for teachers, merging Early Head Start and Head Start, and allowing participation of children above the poverty line.
   
• Include a 1% increase in funding for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Head Start, and provisions to meet the unique needs of Indian Head Start programs.

Issue Background

Head Start is a national early childhood program created in 1965 to prepare young children for school, and provide social services to low-income families. In addition to school preparation, the program provides services including nutrition, medical and dental screenings, early mental health intervention, child development, and parent education. It is the nation’s longest running school readiness program. In 2002, Head Start reached 900,000 children through almost 2,600 community based programs. Currently, the Department of Health and Human Services provides $6.6 billion in direct funding to local programs.

Head Start targets low-income children under five years of age—those most vulnerable to abuse and neglect. According to HHS data, infants and young children are most at risk for maltreatment, and the Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect reports that children from families with incomes below $15,000 per year face a similar risk. In 2002, 74% of children enrolled in Head Start were below the poverty line, and 19% were on public assistance. In addition, 13% of children enrolled had disabilities, the majority of whom received needed services and care.

Head Start has been successful in preparing children for school while helping parents to build young families. Data from the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2000) shows a greater increase in vocabulary and earlier development of writing skills among children participating in Head Start. Also, 94% of Head Start parents reported that they considered Head Start to be a helpful source of support for raising children. Participation in Head Start has long term effects for children, increasing the likelihood of completing high school and attending college, according to UCLA research (December 2000).

Proposal to Turn Over Funding to States

In July of 2003, the House of Representatives passed H.R.2210 The School Readiness Act by one vote (217-216). The bill, introduced by Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE), would create a pilot program in eight states in which funding and oversight for Head Start would transfer to the state level. In order to obtain control of funding, states must submit a plan outlining how they will improve Head Start educational and social services. The bill is modeled on President Bush’s proposal to encourage a better distribution of resources at the state level. According to the proposal, states could increase efficiency by coordinating Head Start and state pre-school programs.

Critics of the Bush plan argue that it is unclear if state oversight would actually improve the performance of the Head Start program. In fact, decentralization would remove national standards and lead to lower quality programs. Additionally, the proposed increase in efficiency would be minor. It would not account for funding to reach eligible but unenrolled children, nor would it fund the state plan for improvements. According to the Children’s Defense Fund, the funds allocated in H.R.2210 would not only be insufficient for expansion, but would mean a decrease in enrollment of 6,000 children.

The Alliance for Children and Families opposes the reauthorization of Head Start under H.R.2210 which would undercut the progress of a much needed and widely successful community program. The transfer of Head Start funding from federal to state level will lower performance standards, and will not provide adequate funding for needed improvements. It does not address the important issues of expansion to all eligible children, and improvement of teacher quality. States do not have experience or tested programs to serve as models for Head Start, and therefore cannot ensure that early childhood programs will improve under state supervision. In addition, there is no mechanism in place to prevent states from using a Head Start block grant for other purposes. A 1998 GAO study shows that federal funds are eight-times more likely to reach low-income children than state funds.

Current Head Start funding is only sufficient to serve 60% of eligible children. The Alliance for Children and Families supports a $1 billion increase in federal funding to continue the program’s success. With additional funds Head Start can continue to raise standards for teachers, expand enrollment to all eligible children, and provide meaningful support to families.