[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 76 (Monday, May 18, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H3296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MARKING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START
(Mr. SCOTT of Virginia asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, 50 years ago today, President
Lyndon B. Johnson announced from the White House Rose Garden that
enrollment would begin for an early childhood education program called
Project Head Start.
For the last half century, Head Start has been more than just an
education program. It not only includes quality preschool but also
critical support services, including family engagement, health
services, and good nutrition. Studies have found that children in Head
Start do better academically, have better behavior, and better health
status than their peers. The program also saves more money than it
costs by reducing teen pregnancy, high school dropouts, and the
likelihood of incarceration.
Madam Speaker, we know that Head Start works. As we mark the occasion
of 50 years of one of the most successful early intervention programs,
let us recommit ourselves to the ideal that all of our children have
access to quality preschool education, like Head Start.
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