Since its beginning in 1965 as a part of the War on Poverty, Head Start's goal has been to boost the school readiness of low-income children. Based on a 'whole child' model, the program provides comprehensive services that include pre-school education; medical, dental, and mental health care; nutrition services; and efforts to help parents foster their child's development. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child's and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. The Congressionally-mandated Head Start Impact Study was conducted across 84 nationally representative grantee/delegate agencies. Approximately 5,000 newly entering 3- and 4-year-old children applying for Head Start were randomly assigned to either a Head Start group that had access to Head Start program services or to a non- Head Start group that could enrol in available community non-Head Start services, selected by their parents. Data collection began in fall 2002 and is scheduled to continue through 2006, following children through the spring of their 1st-grade year. The study quantifies the impact of Head Start separately for 3- and 4-year-old children across child cognitive, social-emotional, and health domains as well as ii on parenting practices. This book is essential reading for those in the education field.

Head Start is a federal program that has provided comprehensive early childhood development services to low-income children since 1996. Services provided to preschool-aged children include child development, educational health, nutritional, social and other activities, intended to prepare low-income children for entering kindergarten. The program is administered by the Administration for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unlike many other social service programs, federal Head Start funds are provided directly to local grantees, rather than through states. Programs are locally designed, and are administered by a network of about 1,500 public and private nonprofit agencies. outlines the past, present and future of this socially beneficial program. The long-term impact on the children aided, particularly with respect to educational attainment, is addressed and continues to be an area of focus and concern. In addition, the numerous roadblocks that exist with regard to the Head Start program, are assessed and handled accordingly. CONTENTS: Preface; Head Start: Background and Funding (Alice Butler and Melinda Gish); Head Start Issues in the 108th Congress (Alice Butler and Melinda Gish); Head Start: Better Data and Processes Needed to Monitor Underenrollment (Marnie S. Shaul); Bibliography; Index.