Head Start1965-Present

Why was Head Start created? • To stop juvenile delinquency.

Experts who studied the way to stop juvenile delinquency believed the answer was, Stop poverty, stop juvenile delinquency.

Poverty= juvenile delinquency

Thus began The War on Poverty and Head Start.

One of the answers to resolving juvenile

delinquency was the development of Head Start

• 1965, nearly half of the nation’s poor where young children. The Johnson Administration’s Child development experts had found that early intervention programs could significantly affect: cognitive development socio-emotional development

What is Head Start…

•Federal program for preschool children from low-income families.

•The Head Start program is operated by local non-profit organizations in almost every county in the country.

•Children who attend Head Start participate in a variety of educational activities. Services are offered to meet the special needs of children with disabilities as well as low income families.

In the Beginning: O Head Start began as an eight-week summer

program.

O Within the first few years, many of these summer programs became nine-month, half-day programs.

O Head Start is part of the Office of Child Development in the Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare. (These offices were later named the Administration on Children, Youth and Families within DHS).

O NORWESCAP is the name given to the Early Head Start services provided to Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren Counties of New Jersey.

The Services that both NORWESCAP/ Early Head Start and Head Start Provide:

• Educational • Free medical• Dental care• Healthy meals and snacks• Financial services • Prenatal services• Infant services• Toddlers services

Most of the Children in NORWESCAP are infants to toddlers . But also includes Prenatal Care.

Most children in Head Start are between the ages of 3 and 5 years old.

Northwest New Jersey Community Action

Partnership

Mission

Helping families find pathways out of poverty to reach their goals and attain self sufficiency

Head Start focal Points in helping the community

Health NutritionEducationSocial ServicesParent involvement

Head Start CurriculumHead Starts Curriculum must follow the requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards and based on sound child development principles.

Head Start defines this Performance Standard as the following a written plan which includes:

•Goals for children's development and learning;

•Experiences through which they will achieve the goals;

•Roles for staff and parents to help children to achieve these goals; and •Materials needed to support the implementation of a curriculum.

•Curriculum in Head Start is also based on the Program Performance Standards and Sound Child Development Principles. .

Faculty CredentialEarly Head Start teachers must have:

•Minimum of a child development associate (CDA) credential

•Trained (or have completed equivalent coursework) in early childhood development

•Early Head Start teachers must be trained (or have completed equivalent coursework) in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development.

Parent Involvement

• Parents can participate in the planning of their child's program.

• Guidance for parents to help provide for their child in all the necessary ways.

• Classes for parents to talk about their common concerns with their children, such as growth, development and discipline.

Funding for Head StartOver the Years

• Federal and State Funding:• Then~1965- $96.4 million budget and served

561,000 children in summer programs. • Now~$85 million over FY 2012, to maintain services

for the 962,000 children currently participating in the program.

• Funding also comes private companies and businesses that donate to the program to help Head Starts mission.

Pros and Cons of Head Start

Pros

• Educational Benefits• Health Benefits• Economic Benefits• Law Enforcement Benefits • Parental Skills

• Their has not been a noticeable difference in children performance after first grade

• Teacher Qualifications

• Taxpayers annual investment of over $ 8 billion dollars

Cons

ConclusionHead Start has shown benefits in children ages 3 - 4 yrs. old in their cognitive, health, parenting domains as well as social-emotional domain/behaviors. The program leads in some cases to improve parent - children relationships. It has long term effects with children as they progress to higher grades. The program also helps with their school skills and their ability to progress.

The Head Start programs allow students/children to grow socially as we'll as educationally. It allows for children to start the learning process at an early age and provides programs to parents to further enrich the lives of their children.

Head Start faces many obstacles in the future and improvement is needed. But it is an essential part of the educational system of the United States and its contribution should not be minimized.

The following are testimonials and one of the many successful stories of Head Start:OYou Tube From Head Start to HarvardOYou Tube Clemesia/Marcus Whitmore and Marvastine Whitmore-Southeast Arkansas Community Action Corporation

The work begins anew.The hope rises again. And the dream lives on….

~Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Bibliography

• Kipnis, F. & Whitebook M. (August 2012). Mapping Current Professional Preparation and Professional Development Opportunities for New Jersey’s Early Learning Workforce. Berkeley, CA: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California at Berkeley

• http://www.norwescap.org/index.php• www.nhsa.org/services/find_a_head_start_program• www.nj.gov/education/ece/hs/curriculum.pdf• princeton.edu/futureofchildren/.../head-start-to-cut-or-not-to-

c...• www.washingtonpost.com ›Discuss• eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta.../

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