Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager
National Women's Law Center
Yesterday, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, Congress broke through the usual gridlock to deliver the Head Start reauthorization bill.
The bill expands services for infants and toddlers through Early Head Start, recognizing the importance of reaching more children earlier in life. It also reflects the importance of improving teacher training and credentials and the need to coordinate and expand early childhood education systems within states. Furthermore, the bill rejects the Administration’s proposal to turn Head Start over to state governments and halts a controversial annual assessment of four-year-olds participating in the program.
For more details on the reauthorization bill, check out our latest online update.
Although this bill is an important step forward for Head Start, like any good bill that envisions expanding services to help more children, it needs adequate funding to become a reality. This year, Congress only provides a $154 million increase for Head Start in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. Even this small increase may not be enacted, since the President on Tuesday vetoed the appropriations bill and has requested that Congress provide him with a bill that further cuts domestic human service programs.
Let’s hope Congress continues on with its holiday spirit by refusing to bargain away Head Start funding.
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