PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS HEAD START BILL

By Nicole Blais, Chief of Staff/Community Liaison HCS Head Start, Inc.

On December 12, 2007, President Bush signed into law the “Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, a much-deserved victory for the entire Head Start community. The United States Congress sent the bill to the President in early December after passing the reauthorization measure with strong bipartisan support.

Established in 1965, Head Start is the most successful and longest running national school readiness program in the United States. Head Start has served over 25 million preschool-age children, infants, toddlers, and pregnant women since its inception. The successful Head Start reauthorization by the U.S. Congress signals a continued legacy for future low-income children and families.

Janis Santos, Executive Director of HCS Head Start, Inc. and Vice Chairperson of the National Head Start Association reflects on the long road to reauthorization, “We have been working so hard over the last five years to ensure this reauthorization will protect the values and goals important to all Head Start children, families and staff.”

The “Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007” addresses income eligibility, allowing more working poor families to participate in the program, strengthens program governance, provides improvement for teacher and classroom quality, strengthens school readiness, improves greater coordination with other programs for young children, and strengthens comprehensives for Head Start families. The law also continues to support the parent involvement in the education of their children and authorizes the use of Head Start facilities for voter education registration.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives said, “Head Start is one of America’s most popular investments because it is one of our most effective. This legislation builds on its success and strengthens Head Start for the future.” The next step is to urge the President to support the increase in funding that will allow programs to continue to meet federal standards and replenish some of the services that have been cut due to flat funding and cuts programs have endured over the past several years.

The reauthorization of Head Start and Early Head Start marks a major accomplishment for the Head Start community who worked tirelessly to secure the reauthorization, and which continues to serve America’s most at-risk children. n