Archive for September, 2017

Head Start boosts the economy as well as kids

Wed, 09/27/2017

Head Start boosts the economy as well as kids Head Start boosts the economy as well as kids. Recently published in the Sacramento Bee (9.26.17). Sacramento's Greater Economic Council president and CEO and Region 9 Head Start Association executive director offer a compelling points about the critical role Head Start plays in the local economy - assisting parents and employers. Click here to read the on-line version     Continue Reading

Categories: General   Tags: Employers, Parents, Sacramento

Standing up for Head Start no matter where you are

Fri, 09/8/2017

By Tameka Henry, Regional 9 Head Start Association Parliamentarian      Wherever you are standing—you need to lead. That has been a guiding principle for me—especially from the time my now teenage daughter was enrolled in Head Start 10 years ago and as a young parent I realized the challenge of being the best parent I could be. As I grew into my own power as an adult, I discovered leadership begins at home—by being a good parent. The first and most important job of any advocate is to lead your family—to teach and learn the skills of open and honest communication. From what I learned through Head Start, I helped my children to be problem solvers, innovators and cheerleaders of the peers. For me—as much as for them—I said to always speak truth and never let the power of others define your beliefs. But folks need to do more: The obvious opportunity is in your school or in your community. For me, that place was Head Start where my two daughters were enrolled. I realized that as a participant, I and my children were consumers of Head Start’s services—and to support them, to improve them—to preserve them, I needed to act. Region 9 Head Start Association’s Ed Condon recently said it well: “We are faced with the reality of not only having to be educators—but being cheerleaders as well to survive—to lead the charge.” I have learned not...

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Categories: General   Tags: Action, Funding, head start, National Head Start

What Did the GAO Find About Early Childhood Programs?

Wed, 09/6/2017

      08/10/2017 02:06 pm ET   Effective use of federal funding is imperative to meet the needs of America’s most vulnerable early learners. To ensure those precious public resources are efficiently spent, Congressional leaders regularly (and rightly) ask about potential fragmentation, overlap and duplication of the various federal programs providing early care and education. Last month, Congress’ oversight arm, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), examined these questions and reported back to lawmakers, revealing some very encouraging and promising findings. Although the report identified 44 federal programs that make funds available for early childhood needs, only nine of them have an explicit early learning or child care purpose. Of those nine, just two of them — Head Start and the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) — comprise about 90% of the $15 billion annual federal investment in early care and education. The other 10% includes more targeted populations (children with disabilities, parents in college) or have very specific purposes (welfare reform, nutritious meals). A large majority of the 44 funding sources that were identified do not even require that funds are spent on early childhood programs. So, is this federal investment fragmented? Yes, the report says it is fragmented, meaning multiple government...

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Categories: General   Tags: National Head Start