What is the Head Start Program?
Offering assistance to low-income children and families in a variety of ways is important. In the US, there are many programs established to assist children and families with education, clothing, food, and child care. The Head Start Program is one of the more comprehensive programs made available to children and families to assist in education, health, and nutrition.
In this article, we’ll discuss what the Head Start Program is and the benefits offered through the program.
What is the Head Start Program?
Head Start originally began in 1965 as a summer program to educate low-income children and prepare them to begin elementary school. The program was later expanded in1981 and again in 2007 to include more services and programs. The program is overseen by the United States Department of Health and Human Services and as of 2016-2017 reported 848,000 children enrolled. The program is designed to help communities meet the needs of impoverished or disadvantaged preschool children. Interestingly, Sesame Street was originally initiated and funded by the Head Start program in 1968.
Today, programs focus on early learning and school readiness, health, and physical development, and supporting parents of children. There are over 1,700 agencies in communities that provide services and support to over 1 million participating children each year. This is including farmworker camps and 155 tribal communities.
Studies conducted on the effectiveness of the Head Start programs have shown that children who participated tested higher in school, were more likely to graduate, were less likely to commit crimes, were less likely to have poor health as adults, and overall had stronger academic performance.
What Program and Services Does Head Start Have?
Throughout all 50 states, the Head Start Program offers specific services and programs to help children and families. Many of the programs available are conducted through child care centers and home child care businesses. There are even programs available to assist children and parents by way of home visits. Overall, the ultimate goal of Head Start is to assist with early learning and school readiness for young children, offer support in health and development, and help families to achieve stability through housing, financial options, and education.
Some specific areas of assistance through the program can include:
- Prenatal through toddler assistance in development
- Options and services for children of migrant and seasonal workers
- Services specific to children of indigenous Americans by way of serving on reservations and other centers
- Services and programs for children with developmental disabilities
- Programs to provide services specifically for homeless children and families
Who is Eligible for the Head Start Program?
In order to qualify for programs and services through the Head Start program, there are stringent financial limitations. For instance, families cannot earn more than 100% of the federal poverty level. There are also separate qualifications for families that are in receipt of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds, are homeless, or are in receipt of supplemental security funds. Assistance to higher-income families that require assistance due to emergency situations cannot exceed more than 10% of enrollment into the program. There are also certain programs available at times that can assist families within the 100-130% poverty level bracket.
How Can I Apply for Head Start?
In order to locate a program, apply, or to find out more information, you should visit the Office of Head Start web page. There, you can use their Head Start locator tool to locate a program near you, you can find out more information on programs available, and you can learn more about recent projects and developments by the Head Start program.