Head Start

Values and Beliefs

Social competence refers to the qualities and abilities that children need to succeed in their current environment, in school, and in life. The goal of social competence recognizes the integrated nature of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development and learning along with good health care and habits. Head Start is built on the understanding that children develop within the context of their families; that families are their children's first teachers; and that families exist within the context of neighborhoods and communities. Children who are born into and raised in economically disadvantaged homes and communities are likely to reach kindergarten age lagging behind their peers in all sorts of ways that are important for school success. A core belief of Head Start is that every child can learn and succeed when the necessary tools and supports are provided. Consequently, Head Start is a comprehensive program, rooted in the community, that aims to provide these tools and supports and help children and families succeed.

History

Head Start is part of the legacy of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. In October 1964, Congress passed and President Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act. R. Sargent Shriver was appointed to lead the War on Poverty, and he soon recognized that an essential component of this effort must be focused on young children and their families. He convened a group of academic leaders and civil rights activists and directed them to identify the means to “break the cycle of poverty.” The vision and goals identified by this group are contained in the Cooke Memorandum, named for the group's leader, Dr. Robert Cooke, a pediatrician [Page 1045]from Johns Hopkins University. The memo outlined the need for a comprehensive early education program for young children in low-income families to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs.

Head Start was launched. Head Start began as an 8-week summer program in 1965, serving more than a half million children. It soon became clear that a summer program prior to kindergarten was not sufficient to achieve kindergarten readiness for the children. Head Start grew and expanded over the years to become a school year program for 3- and 4-year-old children. In 1972, legislation was enacted that mandated that at least 10% of the national enrollment of Head Start consist of children with disabilities. Thus, Head Start became the major public early childhood program providing inclusive services. In 1995, another major expansion occurred with the creation of Early Head Start to provide services for children birth to age 3 and pregnant women. The Head Start program has enrolled more than 27 million children since it began in 1965.

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