U.S. House Reauthorizes Head Start

Voices for America's Children issued this press release applauding  by the House to reauthorize Head Start.  Also see a link to an editorial by the AJC's Maureen Dowd calling for an expansion of the state's PreK program.

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to reauthorize the comprehensive early childhood education program, Head Start.  Created in 1965 to promote the early development of three and four year old children by supporting the cognitive, physical, educational, and social development of a child, Head Start has served over 24 million children since its inception.  Despite essential services provided by Head Start, the program’s authority expired in 2003 and partisan disputes prevented Congress from reaching agreement on the authorization.  The operating program authority has been included in annual federal appropriations bills.

By a votes of 365 to 48, the House of Representatives approved The Improving Head Start Act of 2007, H.R. 1429, which reauthorizes the program for five years and provides new resources to allow for an additional 10,000 children to participate in the program, improves the quality of Head Start teachers, and promotes greater awareness and intervention of child health and mental health, and for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

In response to the House vote, Bill Bentley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Voices for America’s Children, issued the following statement:

“Today, Congress proved themselves to be champions for children.  Head Start is a proven program that has improved the lives for millions of children for the past 40 years.  Providing early-intervention and education services for our country’s children ensures that our children will  enter school healthy, emotionally stable, and ready to learn.  I applaud Congress for setting aside partisan differences and putting the needs of children first.  Reauthorizing and strengthening Head Start is an important step toward ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.  H.R. 1429 reinforces the basic mission of Head Start while emphasizing the services that address emerging public health issues through the early identification of child and family health needs and actively addressing childhood obesity. By rejecting amendments that would weaken the program through limiting available funds for services, creating bureaucratic burdens of Head Start agencies, and refusing to mandating unattainable educational benchmarks for teachers without supports, Congress has mandated that Head Start concentrate on the critical needs of children.”

AJC OpEd 5/3/07