Head Start
President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the War on Poverty in January of 1962 during his State of the Union speech. Not long after, a comprehensive child development program was developed by Sargent Shriver and a panel of experts he assembled. The program was to help communities meet the needs of preschool children who are disadvantaged. Head Start was designed to break the cycle of poverty, by providing children of low-income families with a program to meet their social, health, emotional, nutritional, and psychological needs. It will also help the communities by providing volunteer hours and donations as a nonfederal share.
During 1965 and 1966 during the summer, the Office of Economic Opportunity launched an eight-week Project Head Start. Under the Nixon administrate, Head Start was transferred to the Office of Child Development in U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Dr. Edward Zigler was appointed Director of the Office of Child Development. Under the Carter administration in 1977, Head Start began bilingual and bicultural program in 21 states. In October of 1984 under the Reagan administration, Head Start's budget when up to over $1 billion. Under Clinton administration grants were given and in 1998 Head Start was reauthorized to expand to full-day and full-year services.
Most recently in 2007 under George W. Bush, Head Start was reauthorized, which had many provision to strengthen the quality. These include aligning readiness goals to state early learning standards, higher qualifications for teaching force, State Advisory Councils, and increased program monitoring. In 2009 under Obama, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act added more than 64,000 slots of Early Head Start and Head Start programs. Since 1965 Head Start has served over 30 million children, since the eight-week demonstration project. There are now full day/year services and many program options. Now Head Start is administered by the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. Each year over a million children and their families are served in urban and rural areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US territories.
During 1965 and 1966 during the summer, the Office of Economic Opportunity launched an eight-week Project Head Start. Under the Nixon administrate, Head Start was transferred to the Office of Child Development in U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Dr. Edward Zigler was appointed Director of the Office of Child Development. Under the Carter administration in 1977, Head Start began bilingual and bicultural program in 21 states. In October of 1984 under the Reagan administration, Head Start's budget when up to over $1 billion. Under Clinton administration grants were given and in 1998 Head Start was reauthorized to expand to full-day and full-year services.
Most recently in 2007 under George W. Bush, Head Start was reauthorized, which had many provision to strengthen the quality. These include aligning readiness goals to state early learning standards, higher qualifications for teaching force, State Advisory Councils, and increased program monitoring. In 2009 under Obama, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act added more than 64,000 slots of Early Head Start and Head Start programs. Since 1965 Head Start has served over 30 million children, since the eight-week demonstration project. There are now full day/year services and many program options. Now Head Start is administered by the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. Each year over a million children and their families are served in urban and rural areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US territories.