History

History of Head Start

Head Start was first launched as a summer program by the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1965 as an effort to break the cycle of poverty, by meeting the social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs of low-income children (ages 3-5) and their families. The program has grown from a brief, eight-week summer program for preschoolers in 1965 to a year-round program today, serving children from birth to age five and pregnant women. Since 1965, over 160 million children and their families have received Head Start comprehensive services. Head Start provides children from low-income families with daily nutritious meals and many opportunities for social, emotional, and intellectual growth that can prepare them for success in school and in life. The program also connects children to a health care source and provides vital support services to their families.

Head Start has expanded to serve infants and toddlers. Early Head Start, a program for infants and toddlers, was initiated in response to the changing needs of low-income families and to research indicating how critical the period from birth to age three is to a child’s healthy growth and development. Beginning in 1995, sixty-eight Early Head Start programs were funded to serve more than 5,000 pregnant women and families with children under age three. In subsequent years, Early Head Start has more than doubled in size and now serves families in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Early Head Start increases awareness of the adverse effects of raising young children in negative environments and works to provide and raise children in positive and safe environments. Staff members support child attachment by minimizing the number of different caregivers. Early Head Start also focuses on finding ways to increase parent involvement, especially among fathers. Caregivers make regular home-visits, especially to families with newborns.

Head Start has set high standards. Head Start has established comprehensive standards for program design and operation and strictly enforces them with on-site monitoring to ensure that all Head Start children and their families receive the highest-quality service. The standards reflect the latest research on the best methods for working with young children and their families. The Head Start Program Performance Standards were developed by a diverse team of child development and health experts, teachers, and program staff, with input from community partners. The Head Start Program Performance Standards provide valuable direction on virtually every aspect of Head Start services.

Head Start measures its outcomes for children. Head Start four-year-olds perform above the levels expected for children from low-income families who have not attended center-based programs. They develop a sense of structure and are better prepared for elementary school. Head Start research is pioneering methods to evaluate these and other benefits to ensure that Head Start programs continue to be accountable to the families they serve and to the wider community.