Facts
Head Start and Early Head Start are federally funded programs that promote school readiness for children ages 0-5 from eligible families through education, health, social and other supports and services. In 1965, project Head Start was launched as an 8 week summer program serving 561,000 children as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s economic opportunity initiative.
They are administered by the Office of Head Start, within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The 1975 Head Start Program Performance Standards, revised in 2016, defined high quality services in early childhood education, parent engagement, social services, and health. The effectiveness of these standards and their implementation by local programs was documented conclusively by a federal study that showed Head Start narrows the achievement gap in reading readiness and writing skills between children from low-income families and all other children; and supports the social and emotional development of Head Start children.
Want to know more? Read studies about Head Start’s effectiveness below.
1965
Project Head Start was launched in 1965 as an 8-week summer program as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s economic opportunity initiative.
20,000
Tennessee’s Head Start programs serve approximately 20,000 children and their families every year.
400
Sequatchie Valley Head Start serves over 400 Head Start and Early Head Start children and families each year.
Kindergarten Ready
Head Start children score better than their peers in the areas of language, cognitive and social-emotional development (Love et al., 2002).
Social and Emotional Skills
Children that attend Head Start have better social skills, fewer attention problems, and decreased aggression and hyperactivity (Aikens et al., 2013).
Early Head Start
Children in Early Head Start are more likely to be immunized and have services for children with disabilities (Love et al., 2002).
Graduation
Children that attend Head Start are less likely to repeat a grade and more likely to graduate high school and to attend college.
Healthy and Successful
Children that attend Head Start are less likely to be in poor health and smoke and on average have higher earnings.
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THE HEAD START MISSION
The mission of Sequatchie Valley Head Start is to create a nurturing place where children, families and staff can work through community partnerships to exceed Head Start's national goals.
EARLY HEAD START 0-3 yrs
HEAD START 3-5 yrs