Title
Calling on the Trump Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to preserve funding and administrative support for Head Start, prevent program disruptions, and protect access to early childhood education for low-income families.
Body
WHEREAS, Head Start is a federally funded early childhood education program that has served more than 38 million low-income children and families since 1965, providing critical educational, social, and nutritional support; and
WHEREAS, Head Start was established in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty, initially launched as an eight-week summer program designed to break the cycle of poverty by addressing the emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs of disadvantaged preschool children. Head Start has since expanded to include full-day and full-year services, with a variety of program options tailored to meet community needs; and
WHEREAS, Head Start programs currently serve more than 1 million children and their families each year in urban, suburban, and rural areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories, helping families experiencing poverty or homelessness, and providing essential childcare services that enable parents to work or attend school; and
WHEREAS, Head Start programs prepare children ages 3 to 5 for school by supporting their mental, social, and emotional development, and providing health, nutrition, and other family support services. Early Head Start, established in 1994, expands these comprehensive services to low-income children under age 3, pregnant women, and their families; and
WHEREAS, Head Start serves nutritious meals and snacks at no cost to families, provides transportation services in some locations, and ensures automatic eligibility for families experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and families receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Famil...
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