The Head Start Act program is trying to improve the school preparation of low income children by improving their mental, social, and emotional growth in a learning atmosphere. It will support the children’s development such as, their ability to read, vocabulary, science, math, creativity, and their physical skills (Public Law, 2007, Pg. 2). There is one program called Early Head Start, which serves pregnant woman, infants and toddlers. It is accessible to the family until their children turns three years old and is ready to start another Head Start program or start pre-k (Public Law, 2007, Sec. 15, Pg. 57).
Another type of program is the Head Start, which is meant for kids from pre-k to 12th grade. Over 1,000,000 children are served by the Head Start every year. Head Start programs has served over 884,410 children and their families. The Early Head Start programs has served 145,308 children. Every year this program is required to submit a program information report on the services they had provided to the families and their children. In 2014, this program provided money nearly to 1,000,000 children and pregnant women. During the year of 2013-2014 it has served around 1,076,000 children age’s birth to 5 years old and have also served pregnant omen throughout this year.
This is necessary because it works for children’s and families, it helps them become successful. Children are more likely to graduate from high school and college. They are less likely to need special education, and to repeat a grade level. They work together with local schools, childcare and community service providers to meet the needs of new generations to ensure that all children have a brighter education (Why Is Head Start Important, 2015). Policy Analysis: The Head Start Act I. Title and Description of Relevant Policy Most people knows this program as The Head Start Act but it is ot the formal title.
The formal title of the policy is Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 (Sec. About Us). In 1965 Head Start was established as a part of the War on Poverty to provide preschool, health and other services to poor children and their families. The Head Start program is a national program that is managed by the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, which helps improve the skills of low income children (Article. Head Start Services). It provides grants to local public and private nonprofit and for profit agencies.
They are responsible to each child and families race, and cultural. It encourages the roles of parents and their children first and most important teachers. They build the relationships between families that support positive parent and child relationship. In 2007 Head Start was approve, under the George W. Bush administration, with many provisions to reinforce the Head Start quality. This included adjustment of the program school readiness goals with the state early learning requirements (Sec. History). For families to get accepted into this program they must apply directly with a program in their area.
This program provides services to over a million children a year throughout the whole United States and over one hundred fifty five tribal communities. Since 1965 the Head Start has served more than thirty million children. Each year it has also serve over a million children and their families in urban and rural areas in all fifty states. This program was designed to help break the cycle of poverty, by making sure children meet their needs. Policy Analysis: The Head Start Act II. Policy Goals and Objectives This program should be able to accomplish improvement positive outcomes in children’s education.
All Head Start rograms uses assessment tools on specific language, literacy, and numeracy outcomes. All this assessments approximately takes fifteen minutes per child. By doing this it determines on how the program is doing by meeting the child’s goals and objectives. The manifest goal for this program would be offering the general public an opportunity for quality child care services and programs. The latent goal would be that this program provides funds and grants in order to maintain children in school until they graduate from high school and attend college (Public Law, Sec. 6 Pg. 5-16).
II. Benefits and/or Programs and Services Head Start programs deliver early educational services for children in low income families. It also offers nutritional, health, social, and other services. It is designed to increase access to early childhood education and to prepare low income children. It helps remove children’s and their parent’s barriers to success. This is what makes this program so important, it guarantees to help children have good opportunities in life (Smith. Pg. 16). Low income families are allowed to receive help from this program when their child is born until the age of five and are ready to attend pre-k school all the way until they graduate high school.
They can also receive help depending on how much income they earned. Policy Analysis: The Head Start Act IV. Eligibility Rules Head Start services are available to pregnant women and children ages birth to five and their families. Local program staff determine is families are eligible. Any family member that is facing a special problem, such as drug or alcohol abuse, job loss, or family crisis, can receive help through the Head Start (What Can Head Start Offer Your Family, 2014). Foster children, homeless families and families that are receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) or SSI (Supplemental
Security Income) are eligible for the Head Start. Children who have any disabilities, are fully included into this program. Staff from the program work closely with the families to accomplish the necessary services and resources for their children (Head Start Program). This program may enroll children’s from families whose income are higher than the low income families into other program if they meet other eligibility requirements. V. Service Delivery Systems According to the Office of Head Start, the Head Start program offers different types of service models who rely on the needs of he communities.
Programs may be located in centers, schools, or family child care homes. They offer other types of program option that includes home based services. It is when one of the staff visits the child in their home once a week and works with the parent as the main teacher (Head Start Services, 2015). Families who receive home based services meet two times a month with other families that are receiving the same service. This helps the families receive a group learning experience provided by the Head Start staff. VI. Financing According to A True Start to Getting Ahead journal the overnment pays 80 percent of the total costs to run these programs.
Organizations that are non-profitable raise money, request good donations, and buy supplies. In 1965, $96. 4 million tax dollars were funded for 561,000 children that were in summer programs. In the late 1970’s, this went up to $680 million (Smith: Head Start: A True Start to Getting Ahead, 2012). This agency also receives grants from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Other places also offers funding’s so that children may be in this program such as, cities, states, and federal programs (Public Law, 2007).
