[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 102 (Monday, July 27, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S9061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               HEAD START

 Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, the Head Start program has 
successfully served hundreds of thousands of children over the past 33 
years. These are children who otherwise would have been left behind. 
Instead, they received an enriching opportunity to get prepared for 
elementary school.
  It is critical that we allow local Head Start providers to continue 
to focus on their mission of serving families and children first. They 
serve our most vulnerable populations. We need to make sure that we do 
not saddle Head Start with the additional responsibilities that some 
members have proposed. Responsibilities such as determining paternity, 
or enforcing welfare laws by verifying TANF requirements, are duties 
which are within the realm and expertise of social workers and other 
professionals. Requiring Head Start to handle these burdensome 
responsibilities would take their time, energy and focus away from 
serving families and children first.
  We are finding that the quality of instruction and programs at Head 
Start continues to improve. We must continue to improve quality. One 
major concern is the authority given to private companies in this bill. 
While for-profits are partners with many Head Start grantees, their 
profit-making goals are not wholly consistent with the mission of 
serving the public good.
  Mr. President, in June, 1995, several respected researchers from Yale 
University and other universities issued a report comparing the quality 
and cost outcomes between for-profit and non-profit centers. The 
research shows that non-profit centers on average have more teachers 
with Associates of Arts in Early Childhood Education degrees than for-
profit centers.
  Futhermore, for-profit centers on average had lower quality scores 
but higher costs per child than non-profit centers. Also, for-profit 
centers make very little use of volunteers from the community. I fear 
that for-profits are not about quality and community.
  Mr. President, presently under 50 percent of the eligible population 
is served by the Head Start program. It is important that Head Start 
continues to expand and serve a greater number of children. However, 
during these times of welfare reform, it is also necessary that Head 
Start provide full-day, full-year programs for working families. In 
order to achieve both goals, it is important that expansion occurs 
cautiously.
  Overall, the bill allows flexibility and focuses on school readiness 
and should be supported. Head Start is one of the most important 
investments we can make in our children.

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