For the making connections portion of my current
course, I have chosen to examine the National Head Start Association (http://www.nhsa.org/). According to the
information on their webpage, the main idea behind Head Start is that every
child, no matter what disadvantages he or she is faced with, should and can
succeed. Since 1974, it has been working to do just that. They believe that
they have to provide services for the child, as well as be a voice for the
child.
Through their own research department, the NHSA has
determined that the benefits of Head Start are far-reaching. In addition to the
educational advantages, students who participate are healthier, less likely to
be dependent upon subsidy programs, and less likely to have trouble with law
enforcement.
Many of the items I read dealt with budget cuts,
funding, and how the government shut down drastically disrupted services to
those in need. For every dollar invested in quality early childhood education,
the return is approximately $7.00. Despite this, funding is a serious issue.
Much of the page is dedicated to the many ways in which the NHSA is struggling
to raise awareness, secure funding, and collect public support.
The NHSA is currently serving over one million
children, and could be serving more if they had sufficient funds to do so,
showing that the issue of poverty and young children is growing. I shall be
interested to see how this page addresses the upcoming mid-tern elections, and
the results thereof.
Thank you for the information on the Head Start program. This program has been around for years, and contrary to popular belief, many say that it's not working. You have just proved that wrong and I it is vital in the communities it serve. The main purpose for this program being created was to assist children who come from backgrounds where funds, parenting, and health are lacking. I believe the program is working and doing what is set out to do.
ReplyDeleteI worked in Head Start and Early Head Start for many years. I think I use their website even more know than I did back then. It provides a wealth of great information, articles and the standards are amazing. I am happy that it has received an additional billion in funding. There are many that say its not beneficial but I saw progress in both children and families that were in my programs. It was also a wonderful source of building community with parent meetings and socializations.
ReplyDeleteI use to work in Head Start many years ago and funding has always been an issue. Personally if government official would start using money they allocate for different programs such as education, we would have variable centers. My school was in partnership with a Head Start and because of budget cuts, the program was cut. The program is beneficial in helping families receive support services before the child enters school. It is sad to hear the news of educationally programs being closed do to lack of funding when we can build billion dollar casinos.
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