[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16476]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HEAD START AWARENESS MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, 35 years ago, President 
Ronald Reagan first proclaimed October as Head Start Awareness Month, 
and, proudly, we continue to raise awareness about Head Start and the 
benefits it brings to America's children.
  Since its inception 50 years ago, Head Start has improved the lives 
of more than 32 million children and their families. Head Start gives 
every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, a chance to succeed 
in school and in life.
  When Head Start was first launched in 1965, the idea of providing 
comprehensive health, nutrition, and education services to children in 
poverty was groundbreaking. The Head Start model, developed over the 
decades, has become one that has been built now on evidence-based 
practices and is constantly evolving, using the best available science 
and teaching techniques to meet the needs of local communities.
  Head Start takes a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of 
young children across four major areas of development, including 
education. Head Start provides a variety of learning experiences to 
help children grow intellectually, socially, developmentally, and 
emotionally.
  Health: Head Start offers health services such as immunizations, 
dental, medical, and mental health and nutritional services and early 
identification of health problems.
  Parent involvement: Head Start involves parents in the planning and 
implementation of activities. Parents serve on policy councils and 
committees that make administrative decisions, participate in classes 
and workshops and child development, and volunteer in the program.
  Social services: Head Start also provides outreach to families to 
determine what services they need.
  Mr. Speaker, Head Start focuses on the whole child and the whole 
family. Research has suggested that educating children in their 
earliest years plays an important role in inspiring lifelong learning, 
school readiness, and preparing students before they begin kindergarten 
as an essential part of Head Start, and it is especially important for 
some of the most vulnerable among us to ensure access to quality 
education and the outcomes that can be derived from it.
  Head Start and the Early Head Start programs are in small towns and 
big cities alike. They bring together parents, teachers, volunteers, 
and community leaders to create a quality program that truly does give 
lower income children a head start in life.
  Studies have shown that students who have had access to Head Start 
were more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. They 
are less likely to commit a crime or become a teen parent. Head Start 
gives children equal footing from the start and allows them every 
opportunity to be successful, thanks to an early education.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud Head Start programs in the Fifth Congressional 
District of Pennsylvania and throughout the Nation for helping to break 
the intergenerational cycle of poverty. So many Americans from all 
walks of life were offered a fair start in life thanks to Head Start.

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