[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12273-12274]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                ON THE IMPROVING HEAD START ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 10, 2007

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the The 
Improving Head Start Act of 2007. For 40 years, Head Start has provided 
comprehensive child development, literacy, and family services to more 
than 20 million pre-schoolers from low-income and working poor 
families. It is unquestionably the most effective early childhood 
development program ever developed.
  Head Start graduates are less likely to need special education 
services, to be left back a grade or to get into trouble with the law. 
They are more likely to go on to college and to have professional 
careers.
  At a time when there is an overwhelming need in our country for 
quality, affordable early childhood education, we can all understand 
how powerful this legislation could be. I hope we can all understand 
our shared obligation today--not only to maintain this incredibly 
effective program, but to help it reach more children in need.
  As time goes by, we continue to learn more and more about the 
development of young children--their language development, their 
social-emotional development, even their brain development--and it all 
points to the fact that quality education and early engagement, from 
both parents and teachers, are essential for our kids' success.
  That is why this legislation is so important. It will increase 
funding for Head Start teacher and staff salaries and professional 
development, strengthening training and technical assistance. And it 
will re-evaluate and update Head Start's current standards and 
assessments based on the best science.
  We are going to increase accountability by devising a new system of 
application review that assesses program quality and leads to re-
competition of low-quality centers. We are going to boost cooperation 
between Head Start and state and local child care programs to increase 
full-day and full-year services. And we are going to allow programs to 
convert portions of their grant for use for Early Head Start, which 
serves children under three years old.
  Ultimately, though, this legislation is about expanding access to 
Head Start for more than 10,000 additional children. Ten thousand more 
children who will be given the tools to perform significantly better on 
a range of cognitive, language, and social-emotional development 
measures. Ten thousand children for whom, studies show, there will be a 
higher degree of parental involvement in the home and at school. Ten 
thousand children with a real opportunity to thrive and succeed over 
the course of their entire lives.
  I want to commend and thank Congressmen Kildee, Castle, and Chairman 
Miller for their leadership on this critical legislation.
  Head Start is a strong and effective program. The growth and success 
of millions of American children and families is living proof. We have 
a responsibility to embrace their success, support it, and strengthen 
it for years to come.

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