[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 238 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 238

Expressing support for the Head Start Program, which has had a positive 
   impact on the lives of low income children and families since its 
   inception and endorsing its administrative structure and program 
                                content.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2003

     Mr. Payne (for himself and Mr. Holt) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
                               Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for the Head Start Program, which has had a positive 
   impact on the lives of low income children and families since its 
   inception and endorsing its administrative structure and program 
                                content.

Whereas in 1964 the Federal Government asked a panel of child development 
        experts to draw up a program to help communities meet the needs of 
        disadvantaged preschool children;
Whereas Project Head Start, launched as an eight-week summer program by the 
        Office of Economic Opportunity in 1965, was designed to help break the 
        cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families 
        with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, 
        nutritional, and psychological needs;
Whereas in 1969, Head Start was transferred from the Office of Economic 
        Opportunity to the Office of Child Development in the U.S. Department of 
        Health, Education and Welfare, and for more than 20 years has been a 
        part of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families in the 
        Department of Health and Human Services, in recognition of the 
        comprehensive service child and family development aspects of the 
        program;
Whereas Head Start has served 21,214,295 children since it began in 1965;
Whereas more than 133,000 Head Start fathers participated in organized regularly 
        scheduled activities designed to involve them in Head Start and Early 
        Head Start programs;
Whereas Head Start programs by law must collaborate and coordinate with Title I 
        schools;
Whereas Head Start programs collaborate with other agencies such as to provide a 
        cohesive network of services in order to ensure responsiveness to the 
        community which it serves;
Whereas 20 States have Head Start waiting lists, totaling a half a million 
        children who are eligible for enrollment yet unable to enter Head Start 
        programs;
Whereas a recent national study by the President's Management Council reported 
        that Head Start received the highest customer satisfaction rating of any 
        government agency or private business;
Whereas a recent study by the Family and Child Experiences Survey concluded Head 
        Start children are ``ready to learn'' and in kindergarten, Head Start 
        graduates made substantial gains in word knowledge, letter recognition, 
        math skills and writing skills relative to national norms; and
Whereas parental involvement in Head Start is mandatory and key to the success 
        of the program and half of the members of the Head Start Policy Council, 
        which serves as a vital link between the community and public and 
        private agencies, are made up of parents: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the major 
contribution Head Start has made to America's children and families and 
urges the program to continue to improve the quality of their 
classrooms through attention to the facilities, equipment and supplies, 
educational activities, schedule, and interaction with children.
    Sec. 2. The House of Representatives recognizes Head Start as an 
apolitical Federal-to-local partnership based on community needs and 
supports maintaining the current administrative responsibilities of the 
Department of Health and Human Services over the program and continuing 
the Federal-to-local structure of the program.
                                 <all>