[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 17, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S6491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HARKIN:
  S. 2183. A bill to amend the Head Start Act to increase the 
reservation of funds for programs for low-income families with very 
young children, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Labor and 
Human Resources.


                         head start legislation

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, most Americans are very familiar 
with Head Start. This popular preschool program was created in 1965 to 
provide health, nutrition and educational assistance to low-income four 
and five year old children. Head Start enjoys strong bipartisan support 
and is widely recognized as a success.
  In response to the growing body of research about the critical 
development which occurs during the first three years of a child's 
life, Head Start has been expanded in recent years to also serve 
infants and toddlers. The Early Head Start Program provides 
comprehensive child development and family support services to families 
with infants and toddlers from birth through age three and currently 
receives 5% of Head Start funding. An estimated 39,000 children 
currently receive services nationwide. In Iowa, 533 children are served 
by Early Head Start.
  However, these children and families represent only a fraction of 
those that need and could benefit from these activities. As a result, 
today I am introducing legislation that would increase the set-aside to 
10% in 2002--to double the number of participants.
  There were many exciting developments last year with respect to the 
education of young children. Science confirmed what many of us have 
believed for years--that the first three years of a child's life are 
the most important. We discovered that young children have unlimited 
potential to learn many things during this critical time. We learned 
how important it is for parents to read to their young children, talk 
with them and stimulate learning through play. We also learned that 
children who do not have enriched learning experiences during these 
important years can be stunted for life.
  Last year, the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education 
appropriations subcommittee, of which I am the ranking Democrat, held a 
hearing focused on the importance of early intervention activities. We 
heard compelling testimony on the benefits of providing support for 
early education and development activities. The President and First 
Lady also convened historic conferences to discuss early childhood 
education and child care and a public campaign was launched to spread 
the word to parents.
  Throughout the year, the message was always the same--we must make 
investments in early intervention programs a national priority. This is 
the right thing to do for the young children of our nation, but it is 
also the most cost-effective thing for us to do. Every dollar invested 
in quality pre-school programs saves $7 in future costs for special 
education, welfare or corrections.
  In 1991, the Committee for Economic Development called on the nation 
to rethink how we view education. This group of business leaders urged 
federal policy makers to view education as a process that begins at 
birth, with preparations beginning before birth. I strongly support 
this objective and have always been a strong advocate in early 
intervention activities such as Head Start, the WIC nutrition program 
and early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with 
disabilities.
  We must dedicate ourselves to making the CED vision a reality and 
build a strong foundation for education in this country. That begins 
with ensuring that all children get off to a good, strong start and 
enter school ready to learn.
  Last year, the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education 
appropriations subcommittee made investments in early intervention a 
priority at my request. The FY 1998 appropriations bill invested an 
additional $64 million in Early Head Start, an increase of 75%, and 
provided an 11% increase in the early intervention program for infants 
and toddlers with disabilities.
  The legislation I am introducing today takes another step toward 
building this foundation by doubling the set-aside for the Early Head 
Start Program for children ages 0-3 by the year 2002. This action will 
continue to improve access to education and development services for 
our youngest children to provide a good start in life. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.
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