"[A] comprehensive approach is what has made our Head Start program such a nationwide success. We must never let that creation be destroyed! Sure, we can always improve on what we started, but the basic components which make Head Start unique should not be abandoned, reduced in size, or limited in any way!”
Our Quote of the Week reminds us of the success of Head Start, the War on Poverty program that combines early childhood education, nutrition, health, and social services programs for children, while encouraging active parent participation. This two-generation approach both aids with child development and supports the skill building of parents.
At the age of 89, Sargent Shriver sent this speech to the National Head Start Association so that his words could be included in the program for its 40th anniversary celebration. Our Quote of the Week is taken from this speech. In his remarks, Sargent Shriver makes clear that the reason for which Head Start is so successful is that it takes a comprehensive approach to nurturing the well-being of young children.The program provides early childhood education for children at a critical time in their development (programs vary from place to place, but the overall age range today is from birth to age five). The programs also serve children in other ways, by ensuring that their health care and nutritional needs are met. The program’s active engagement of parents includes involvement in daily activities and opens up volunteer as well as paid opportunities that strengthen leadership skills. As with all of the other programs of the War on Poverty, Head Start programs cater to the individual needs of the community in which they operate. There is no single blueprint for Head Start programs; each one addresses the distinct needs of its own community.
Head Start programs around the country are currently grappling with the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed changes to Head Start. While the stated goal is to reduce bureaucracy at the federal level, the reality is that some of the proposed changes would make the programs less effective and less able to meet the needs of families in communities around the country. Among the changes proposed are the elimination of staff-to-student ratios, which will make classrooms more crowded and teachers less able to provide quality instruction; the elimination of medical, dental, and vision screenings; the elimination of the guarantees of inclusion for children with disabilities; and an English-only mandate, with the exception of Head Start programs that operate on tribal lands. In short, these changes go to the heart of what Sargent Shriver was warning us against when he spoke to the importance of safeguarding the elements that make Head Start effective.
There is no more important investment we can make as a society than an investment in our children. In the past 61 years, Head Start has been a key resource in ensuring that families in underserved communities could receive the nurturing and resources that many families take for granted. As Sargent Shriver said, we can always improve on what was started, but we must not abandon or limit what has made the program successful.
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