(Washington, DC) Head Start, the early learning program for underprivileged children reached a milestone last week. It turned 50 years old. Project Head Start was launched on May 18, 1965, with the goal of providing vulnerable preschool children and their families with comprehensive services to help them be ready for school. Programs were developed “by local communities to meet local needs” and shaped by the leadership of parents and volunteers. After 50 years, these core values remain in place.
Head Start has served over 30 million children and their families in urban and rural areas all over the country, and it promotes school readiness of young children from low-income families through partnerships in their local community. In addition, Head Start programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social, and other services vital to early childhood development, and its services are responsive to each child and family’s ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage.
“Every child in America should be afforded an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of what neighborhood they live in or how much money their parents make,” said Congresswoman Brown. “Head Start has a proven track record of success over the last fifty years and now is not the time to disinvest in our children’s’ futures. I urge my colleagues to work together to put our children first and bring America one step closer to closing the educational opportunity gap.”
President Obama released the following statement regarding Head Start’s 50th anniversary:
“For millions of families, Head Start has been a lifeline; and for millions of kids, it’s been the start of a better life. Over the past half century, 32 million children have benefited from its early learning and development programs. They’ve recited their numbers and ABCs, raced around playgrounds, and learned thousands of new words. On this 50th anniversary, our challenge is to make Head Start even stronger, and to help more children and families benefit from its good work. My Administration has increased access to Head Start programs, and we’ve launched a new partnership with child care centers to reach tens of thousands more infants and toddlers. Plus, a growing number of states and cities are taking steps to boost access to quality preschool. Now we need Congress to give Head Start the resources to reach more eligible kids. And we need leaders at every level -including in our states and communities – to support Head Start, because early childhood education is one of the smartest investments we can make to keep America strong and competitive in the 21st century.
“Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of Head Start over the past 50 years. Now, let’s make sure we keep serving families for the next 50 years – and beyond. Because here in America, every child – no matter what they look like, where they come from, or who they are – deserves to get a head start in life.
