Win-Win: How Head Start Can Take Advantage of New Funding Opportunities

This brief outlines how Head Start can team up with childhood care and education agencies to benefit California’s preschoolers and their families.

Nationwide funding opportunities

Head Start associations need to engage all partners, including parents, teachers, and managers to keep the success story of Head Start alive for elected and public officials, community partners, and taxpayers. Head Start is publicly funded but this funding should not be taken for granted. Region 9 Head Start Association works with other Head Start associations across the nation to ensure federal funding remains adequate for the services provided to children and their families.

Head Start parents and advocates play a key role in establishing and maintaining positive communication with the legislative and administrative branches of government. R9HSA assures that all partners effectively and efficiently:

• let lawmakers and other public officials know about Head Start programs long-term benefits to children — the Heckman Equation

• support the National Head Start Association’s positions and actions

• create regional events and programs to inform public officials and local congressional representatives about our mission: early care for at-risk children

• teach parents how to become involved and aware of current issues affecting Head Start programs and funding — and be ready to act, if necessary

Statewide funding opportunities

Head Start programs receive additional funds from state and local governments that help maintain high-quality services to the 130,000 children and families of our programs in Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Region. R9HSA supports statewide associations with the following:

• high-impact grassroots activities for lawmakers and other agency officials

• liaison with other public and private agencies to support the educational, health, and social services needs of young children and their families

• promotion of statewide efforts to help improve services for children and their families

Nationwide and statewide efforts extend beyond just program funding. Head Start programs are also affected by local, state, and federal regulations. These laws and regulations must be monitored, and Head Start associations — including R9HSA — must remain alert and ready to act to ensure its program leaders and educators benefit from effective regulation oversight.