Head Start
Head Start is a national child and family development program designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their educational, emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs.
The Head Start program is different and unique from other Early Intervention programs, as the program encourages active participation of the parents and families in nearly every aspect of the program. The federal government funds 80% of the cost of the program. Currently, Head Start serves over 750,000 children nationwide in over 36,000 classrooms and more than 500 home-based programs. According to the Presidents Advisory Committee, only half of the eligible families are served through the Head Start program.
Each Head Start program is expected to meet specific requirements called Performance Standards set by the federal government. These standards identify the requirements for each of the Head Start Content Areas, but leaves room for programs to provide services that are individualized according to their state and community needs and requirements.
The program serves families who meet 100% of the poverty level income guideline by providing educational, nutritional, medical, dental, psychological, and social services, and parent involvement opportunities. It stresses positive mental health and develops attitudes of independence and increased self-esteem.
Heartland Head Start's Part-Year classroom consists of a 3.5 hour/4 days a week schedule. The Full-Day setting consists of an opportunity of a 10 hour/5 days a week schedule. Families who are at 100% of the poverty level are eligible for all Head Start programs, but families in the Full-Day program must also be working or attending school full time.
History
Heartland Head Start is well-established and has been providing services since 1965. During this time it has grown from a small program serving 60 families to a much larger program with over 400 children and their families in its care.
In 1964, the Federal Government asked a panel of child development experts to draw up a program to help communities overcome the handicaps of disadvantaged preschool children. The panel reports became the blueprint for Project Head Start. Project Head Start, launched as an eight-week summer program of the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1965, was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet all of their physical and mental needs. Recruiting children age three to school-entry age, Head Start was enthusiastically received by educators, child development specialists, community leaders, and parents across the nation. Head Start now serves over 700,000 children and their families each year in urban and rural areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories--including many American Indian and migrant children.
In 1969, Head Start was transferred from the Office of Economic Opportunity to the Office of Child Development in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and has now become a program within the Administration of Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services. A well-established, though still an innovative program, Head Start has had a strong impact on communities and early childhood programs across the country. Since 1965, Head Start has served over 13.1 million children and their families. From the start, Head Start received strong support from the Federal Government.
The program is locally administered by approximately 1,400 community-based nonprofit organizations and school systems. Grants are awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services Regional Offices, except for the American Indian and Migrant programs, which are administered in Washington, D.C.. The Head Start legislation states that the Federal grant to operate a local Head Start program shall not exceed 80 percent of the approved costs of the program. The community must contribute twenty percent. The non-Federal share (the 20 percent) may be in cash or contributed services. Head Start experience has shown the need of the children varies considerably from community to community and that, to serve the need most effectively, programs should be individualized. In addition, experience and data suggests that when Head Start programs are designed in ways that take into account community resources and the capabilities of the local staff, a program can often be developed that will improve service for children within present funding levels. Therefore, Head Start permits local Head Start sponsors to provide children with classroom-based or home-based developmental programs.
One of the basic challenges to providing these services is funding. Federal guidelines require all local Head Start programs to match 20% of their funding with "non-federal share." This can be in the form of: cash, volunteered services, goods, supplies, or facilities. At the same time, those associated with operation or governance of the program are prohibited from directly sponsoring fundraising activities. This means Heartland Head Start can not directly sponsor any fundraising events, but must receive 20% of its fiscal budget from local contributions and donations. As an example, if the local program had an annual budget of $1 million, it must generate $200,000 worth of in-kind donations to operate.
The Friends of Heartland Head Start has been formed to help ensure Heartland Head Start can meet these federal guidelines, and continue to provide high-quality education for the children in our community.
Ways to be involved:
Annual Report