Head Start Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Head Start - Essay Example This then would create a Head Start pilot program for eight states, allowing them to design their own early childhood programs, funded with federal Head Start grants. The state programs would have to "meet or exceed" national quality standards, but would not have to follow the detailed federal regulations that apply to local Head Start centers. Democrats called the pilot program nothing more than a block grant, and said it signaled the eventual end of Head Start (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/congress/july-dec03/headstart_07-25.html, 2003). This debate has reached even the most ordinary citizen of most states. There is an ongoing argument whether this Head Start program is really beneficial to underprivileged children. Moreover, there are now series of arguments whether Head Start program of benefiting the younger children should be continually implemented. Head Start program was specifically established to provide assistance and financial aid to low-income families with infants and toddlers and pregnant women which is called Early Head Start. The Early Head Start program address needs such as physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development requirements; knowledge of parents to be better caregivers and teachers to their children; and need for economic independence. More specifically, this program aims to (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/programs/ehs/ehs.htm, 2002). Ensure quality by meeting the requirements in the Head Start Program Performance Standards and other applicable regulations; Provide early, individualized child development and parent education services to low-income infants and toddlers and their families according to a plan developed jointly by the parents and staff; Provide services through an appropriate mix of home visits, experiences at the Early Head Start center, and experiences in other settings such as family or center-based child care; Provide early opportunities for infants and toddlers with and without disabilities to grow and develop together in nurturing and inclusive settings; Ensure that the Early Head Start program is supportive and nurturing of families; Respond to the needs of families, including, where appropriate, the need for full-time child care for working families; Connect with other service providers at the local level to ensure that a comprehensive array of health, nutrition, and other services is provided to the program's pregnant women, very young children, and their families; Recruit, train, and supervise high quality staff to ensure the kind of warm and continuous relationships between caregivers and children that are crucial to learning and development for infants and toddlers; Ensure parent involvement in policy and decision making; and Coordinate with local Head Start and other child development programs in order to ensure continuity of services for these children and families. Why do we have to Continue Supporting Head Start Program Based on reports, Head Start has been a tremendous success. From the young children that have been subjected to the program, their level of I.Q. considerably developed, their reading, writing and math skills also improved. Moreover, the