[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1995]]


IN HONOR OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL HEAD START ASSOCIATION 
               (AND THE LAUNCH OF THE HEADS UP! NETWORK)

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 1998

  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, October 1998 marks the 25th Anniversary of 
the National Head Start Association and I rise in tribute to this 
organization which, for a quarter-century, has been responsive to the 
needs of millions of Head Start children and their families, as well as 
staff and friends of the program.
  NHSA, its membership, its leadership, and its Government Affairs 
Department, are to be commended on their latest accomplishment--the 
invaluable input provided by the Association in the successful 
completion of a bipartisan Head Start reauthorization at the end of 
this session. NHSA once again left its mark on that legislation. I am 
proud to have been a part of that effort and can testify firsthand of 
the good work which NHSA does.
  The idea for a Head Start Association was born in 1973 in Kansas 
City, Missouri, at a national conference for directors of community 
action agencies. A handful of Head Start program directors attending 
the conference discussed the need for a private, national association 
that could advocate specifically for the Head Start community in 
Congress.
  During the remainder of 1973, the core group of directors from Kansas 
City met several times with other Head Start directors from across the 
country. Pooling their broad resources, they formed the National 
Directors Assocation--the forerunner of NHSA. In addition to protecting 
Head Start's funding, the association aimed to strengthen the quality 
of Head Start.
  At the request of the National Directors Association, Head Start 
parent delegates from each state met in Washington, D.C., in September 
1974 to begin forming the parent affiliate of the Head Start 
Association, called the Head Start Parents Association.
  At the January 1975 organizational meeting in Los Angeles, the 
parents passed a motion to invite Head Start non-director staff members 
to the second annual conference. It was their feeling that all Head 
Start staff members were critical to the association's long-term 
success. Non-director staff members formed the third affiliate 
association, the Head Start Staff Association. By the time the second 
annual meeting was held in Kansas City, the three associations as a 
group were named the National Head Start Association.
  At the second annual conference, a number of the attendees did not 
fit into any of the three affiliate associations already organized. 
These ``friends'' of Head Start organized themselves into the final 
affiliate association of National Head Start Association, presenting 
their bylaws and charter at the second annual conference.
  This collaborative and expanding effort is indicative of the vitality 
and responsiveness upon which NHSA prides itself. Like the Head Start 
program itself, NHSA has worked to respond to local and changing 
needs--and has done so by enlarging the Head Start community to include 
everyone in the community.
  Over the past 20 years, NHSA's mission has changed from simply 
defending Head Start in Congress to actively expanding and improving 
the program. Membership types have been created for Head Start 
agencies, Head Start state and regional associations, and both 
commercial and nonprofit organizations. From planning massive annual 
training conferences to publishing a vast array of publications, the 
National Head Start Association continually strives to improve the 
quality of Head Start's comprehensive services for America's children 
and families.
  The latest chapter in NHSA's bold leadership came just two weeks ago. 
On September 24, I took part in the premiere of the Heads Up! Network--
a satellite television network exclusively dedicated to the training 
needs of the Head Start and early childhood community. As NHSA examines 
new, innovative ways to support the needs of Head Start professionals 
and parents, I share their belief in the power of the Heads Up! Network 
to deliver on the promise of high-quality affordable training.
  On behalf of myself and my colleagues, I congratulate the National 
Head Start Association, its President Ron Herndon, Chief Executive 
Officer Sarah Greene, and the Association's national staff and 
thousands of members across the nation on a quarter century of success 
in service to the country's low income children and families. I think I 
speak for all my colleagues when I say that a grateful Congress looks 
forward to many more years in support of quality early childhood and 
family care and education--hand in hand with NHSA. Happy Anniversary!

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