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One: Evaluations Show Benefits of Head Start
Head Start was developed in 1965 as part of a comprehensive effort to combat poverty, providing a wide range of services to low-income children aged three to five years old. The 1994 reauthorization of the Head Start Act created the Early Head Start program for low-income families with infants and toddlers. Currently, Head Start offers services to more than 800,000 children and families each year, while Early Head Start serves an additional 55,000 children and families. In the past few months, two reports have been released that evaluate the impacts of these two programs on children and families. These studies find that both Head Start and Early Head Start have shown continued positive impacts on the children and families who participate in the programs. Head Start The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), an on-going, national study of Head Start children and families, shows that children who entered Head Start in Fall 1997 showed gains in their literacy/language, social and cognitive development by the end of that year. In terms of parent and family outcomes, the FACES study shows that parents of Head Start children generally report extremely high levels of satisfaction with Head Start and view Head Start as an important source of support in rearing children. In addition, parents of Head Start children report spending increased time reading with their children and more time involved in educationally-focused recreational activities at home. The quality of the classroom environment is an important link to positive child outcomes. The FACES study found that Head Start classrooms provide high quality environments based on measures such as the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), child-to-adult ratios, and teachers' educational levels. Early Head Start A newly released evaluation on Early Head Start participants also shows better outcomes across a range of child, parent, and home measures compared to non-participating children. In addition, the evaluation found that children who participated in programs that were implemented exactly as the Early Head Start model prescribes showed better outcomes than children who participated in programs that had only implemented parts of the Early Head Start model. The evaluation finds that Early Head Start participation results in positive impacts on children's cognitive development, language development, and social-emotional development. Examples of these gains include being better able to engage parents, being more attentive to objects during play, and displaying fewer aggressive behaviors. Participation in Early Head Start also provides benefits to parents in increased use of intensive services focusing on child development and parenting, leading to improved parental outcomes. According to the evaluation, parents who participate in Early Head Start programs are more emotionally supportive, have more appropriate control over their children's behavior, provide more support for language and learning, are less likely to engage in negative parenting behaviors, develop a greater range of discipline strategies, have fewer subsequent births within two years, and display more engaging father-child interactions. In terms of self-growth, participation by parents supported positive impacts on self-sufficiency goals such as educational achievement and job training. Looming Reauthorization Both Head Start and Early Head Start have been shown to have a wide range of positive developmental impacts on the children and families who participate in these programs. Head Start and Early Head Start provide a foundation of support for children's development among families struggling to meet economic and developmental needs. In addition, these programs offer an effective way to reach some difficult-to-serve families by providing flexibility in service options. Head Start and Early Head Start will be up for reauthorization in 2003. The National Head Start Association (NHSA) leaders have stated as their main priority to ensure that Head Start remains in the Department of Health and Human Services and does not move under the Department of Education. They also plan to lobby for a five-year reauthorization schedule instead of a two- or four-year one, which will give Head Start the necessary time to effectively carry out its objectives. Furthermore, Head Start supporters will work to expand the funding for Head Start since FY2003 proposals do not provide enough funding to serve additional children, and may mean that programs will have to struggle to cover basic cost increases with no new resources to support continued efforts to strengthen the quality of Head Start. In addition, there is a drive to enhance the qualifications of Head Start teachers by proposing that by 2005, 75% of teachers have at least an Associate's degree, and that all Head Start teachers have one by 2008. Both Head Start and Early Head Start show positive influences on children and families, and are thus important programs to support and expand. The upcoming reauthorization of Head Start and the funding decisions accompanying this reauthorization could have an effect on the impact that these two programs have on low-income children and families, as well as the number of children and families who can benefit from these programs. Sources: Making a Difference in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers and Their Families: The Impacts of Early Head Start, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, June 2002. (To find this report, look online at http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/pdfs/ehsfinalvol1.pdf Facts in Action, August 2002 |
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