Head Start (program)

Washtenaw County, Michigan Head Start school in Superior Township

Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families. It is the oldest and largest program of its kind.[1] The program's services and resources are designed to foster stable family relationships, enhance children's physical and emotional well-being, and establish an environment to develop strong cognitive skills. The transition from preschool to elementary school imposes diverse developmental challenges that include requiring the children to engage successfully with their peers outside the family network, adjust to the space of a classroom, and meet the expectations the school setting provides.[2]

Launched in 1965[3] by its creator and first director Jule Sugarman and Bernice H. Fleiss, Head Start was originally conceived as a catch-up summer school program that would teach low-income children in a few weeks what they needed to know to start elementary school. The Head Start Act of 1981[4] expanded the program.[5] The program was revised and reauthorized in December 2007. As of late 2005, more than 22 million children had participated. As of June 30, 2023, the current director of Head Start is Dr. Khari Garvin.[6]

  1. ^ Pages, Remy; Lukes, Dylan J.; Bailey, Drew H.; Duncan, Greg J. (December 2020). "Elusive Longer-Run Impacts of Head Start: Replications Within and Across Cohorts". Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 42 (4): 471–492. doi:10.3102/0162373720948884. ISSN 0162-3737. S2CID 85530116.
  2. ^ McWayne, C. M., Cheung, K.; Wright, L.; Hahs-Vaughn, D.L.; Thomas, D. (August 2012). "Patterns of School Readiness Among Head Start Children: Meaningful Within-Group Variability During the Transition to Kindergarten" (PDF). Journal of Educational Psychology. 104 (3): 862–878. doi:10.1037/a0028884.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Currie, J.; Thomas, D. (1995). "Does Head Start Make A Difference?" (PDF). American Economic Review. 85 (3): 341.
  4. ^ FDA. Memorandum of Understanding.
  5. ^ Gonzalez-Mena, Janet (2009). Child, Family, and Community (Fifth ed.). Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0135132302.
  6. ^ "ACF Home » Office of Head Start » About » Leadership". Administration for Children and Families. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. May 16, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.