3.3: Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and Head Start
- Page ID
- 228260
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Head Start and President Johnson
For children who live in poverty, Head Start has been providing preschool education since 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. Program development was supported by using research that highlighted the connection between poverty and education.
Head Start is a federally funded program that provides free services to support preschool and early learning and development, health and well-being for families that meet certain criteria and have children from birth to age 5, and for those who are pregnant. Your Head Start program may offer additional services beyond those listed below.
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early education
- full-day preschool for birth-age 5
- learning through play, creative expression, and guided activities
- language and literacy development, early math and science concepts
- positive attitudes toward learning
- health, nutrition, and wellness
- promote physical development both indoors and outdoors
- serve breakfast and lunch, as well as healthy snacks
- nutrition support for families
- provide medical, dental, hearing, vision, and behavioral screening
- parenting support and family well-being
- social services and self-sufficiency goals (employment, training, parenting)
- evidence-based
- pregnancy
- connection to community resource for support with accessing food, housing, mental health and other resources
Image Source: Discover What Head Start Programs Offer. (Download PDF). HeadStart.gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
Fig. 3.3 Chart that lists services provided by Head Start - pregnancy, health and wellness, nutrition, support and engagement, and early childhood education.
Highlights in the History of Head Start
1964
The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 is enacted and includes programs such as: Job Corps, Urban/Rural Community Action, VISTA, Project Head Start and many more.
"As a former teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Texas, President Johnson believes strongly that education was the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Moreover, child development experts have found that early intervention programs could significantly affect the cognitive and socio-emotional development of low-income children."
1972
Services to Children with Disabilities: Congress amends the Economic Opportunity Act, calling to expand Head Start program opportunities for handicapped children. Head Start collaborates with other federal programs through the Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program (EPSDT), to provide comprehensive prevention and treatment services for children.
1975
Head Start Program Performance Standards: Head Start publishes first performance standards that detail guidelines for serving children ages 3 to 5. Revised in 1998 that requires at least one teacher in each classroom to have an Associate degree, includes flexibility for full-day, full year services and develops measures for academic skills.
1980
Children with Disabilities: Mainstreaming preschool children with disabilities is a major effort throughout the late 1970s and early 80s. The Head Start Bureau funds and publishes a series of manuals designed to help programs integrate children with disabilities into their classroom. This includes children with health impairments, children with speech and language impairments, children with hearing impairments, children with orthopedic handicaps, children with mental retardation, and children with emotional disturbances.
1987
McKinney-Vento Act: Congress passes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (renamed in 1990) that requires educational and social services for families. Head Start and Early Head Start programs use the definition of homelessness in the Act to automatically enroll eligible children. Programs must make efforts to locate and recruit children experiencing homelessness and to maintain their attendance.
1991
Multicultural Principles: The Head Start Bureau publishes the Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs. Its purpose is to stand as a challenge for programs to focus efforts on individualizing services so that every child and family feels respected and values, and is able to grow in accepting and appreciating difference.
2002
The Department of Health and Human Services implements a national training program with the goal of training the nearly 50,000 Head Start teachers in early literacy teaching techniques.
2012
Tribal Language: OHS releases a Tribal Language Report, which details the successes, progress, and challenges faced by tribal communities in various stages of preserving, revitalizing, or reclaiming their tribal language. Recommendations highlight the efforts of Head Start agencies required to support children's and families' cultural and linguistic diversity.
2020
COVID-19 suspends most in-person services: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deeply affected Head Start and Early Head Start programs, enrolled children and families, and communities. Most programs stopped in-person services, offering instead a mix of virtual or remote child development services, combined with other family supports. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided $750 million to support programs and maintain service delivery to children and families. Head Start programs that continued in-person services were examples to all early childhood programs on how to be safe while serving essential workers.
Sources
- Head Start Approach. Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center. U.s. Department of Health and Human Resources & the Office of Administration for Children and Families. Website.
- Head Start History. Office of Head Start. The Office of Administration for Children and Families.
- Head Start Timeline. Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center. U.s. Department of Health and Human Resources & the Office of Administration for Children and Families. Website.