Head Start Fact Sheet

Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Head Start is a national program which provides comprehensive developmental services for America's low-income, pre-school children ages three to five and social services for their families. Specific services for children focus on education, socio-emotional development, physical and mental health, and nutrition.

Head Start began in 1965 in the Office of Economic Opportunity as an innovative way in which to serve children of low-income families and is now administered by the Administration for Children and Families. In FY 1995, $3.5 billion was available for Head Start. Almost 751,000 children were enrolled in over 37,000 Head Start classrooms. About 13 percent of the enrollees were children with disabilities. Over $3.5 billion is available for Head Start services in FY 1996.

The cornerstone of the program is parent and community involvement -- which has made it one of the most successful pre-school programs in the country. Approximately 1,400 community- based non-profit organizations and school systems develop unique and innovative programs to meet specific needs.

Major Components of Head Start

Head Start provides diverse services to meet the goals of the following four components:

Education - Head Start's educational program is designed to meet the needs of each child, the community served, and its ethnic and cultural characteristics. Every child receives a variety of learning experiences to foster intellectual, social, and emotional growth.
Health - Head Start emphasizes the importance of the early identification of health problems. Every child is involved in a comprehensive health program, which includes immunizations, medical, dental, and mental health, and nutritional services.
Parent Involvement - An essential part of Head Start is the involvement of parents in parent education, program planning, and operating activities. Many parents serve as members of policy councils and committees and have a voice in administrative and managerial decisions. Participation in classes and workshops on child development and staff visits to the home allow parents to learn about the needs of their children and about educational activities that can take place at home.
Social Services - Specific services are geared to each family after its needs are determined. They include: community outreach; referrals; family need assessments; recruitment and enrollment of children; and emergency assistance and/or crisis intervention.

Head Start Funding

Grants for Head Start programs are awarded to local public or private non-profit agencies by the 10 ACF Regional Offices and the Head Start Bureau's American Indian and Migrant Programs Branches. Twenty percent of the total cost of a Head Start program must be contributed by the community. Head Start programs operate in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories.

Most of the Head Start program's appropriation funds local Head Start projects. The remainder is used for: training and technical assistance to assist local projects in meeting the Head Start Program Performance Standards and in maintaining and improving the quality of local programs; research, demonstration, and evaluation activities to test innovative program models and to assess program effectiveness; and required monitoring activities.

Staff Development and Training

Head Start provides training to staff at all levels and in all program areas. The Child Development Associate (CDA) program gives professional and non-professional employees the opportunity to pursue academic degrees or certification in early childhood education. Currently, there are over 75,000 CDA's in the U.S. who have earned a CDA credential, including a number with a bilingual specialization.

The Role of Volunteers and Community Organizations

Volunteers are an important part of all Head Start programs. High school and college students, homemakers, parents of Head Start children, retired senior citizens -- all kinds of people -- have offered critical help to local Head Start programs. Volunteers assist with: indoor creative play; transportation; parent education; renovation of centers; and recruiting and instructing other volunteers. Approximately 1,235,000 individuals volunteer, and community organizations provide a wide array of services to Head Start, including the donation of classroom space, educational materials, and equipment for children with disabilities.

Impact of Head Start

Since 1965, Head Start has served over 15.3 million children and their families. Head Start plays a major role in focusing attention on the importance of early childhood development. The program also has an impact on: child development and day care services; the expansion of state and local activities for children; the range and quality of services offered to young children and their families; and the design of training programs for those who staff such programs. Outreach and training activities also assist parents in increasing their parenting skills and knowledge of child development.

from the Head Start Bureau web site.