Head Start

Createdin1965, Head Start is a federally funded child development program designed to promote school readiness by improving the cognitive and social-emotional development of primarily low-income children. This program fosters their development by providing educational, health, nutritional, and social services to these children and their families. Viewed by many Americans as one program, Head Start actually is two programs: Head Start and Early Head Start. Established during the 1994 Reauthorization of the Head Start Program, Early Head Start is a comprehensive early childhood program serving primarily low-income children prenatal to age 3, pregnant women, and their families. This entry examines the origins of Head Start and Early Head Start, the administration and funding of these programs, program eligibility, demographic characteristics of these programs, the Head Start ...