What is Head Start?

Head Start is a national child development program for children from birth to age 5, and their families.

Created in 1965, Head Start is the most successful, longest-running, national school readiness program in the United States. Head Start is a child centered, family-focused, comprehensive and community-based program. It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, dental, mental health, social services, parent involvement and parent education opportunities for children and families of low-income. More than 21 million preschool-aged children have benefited from Head Start since its inception.

Head Start is one of the few remaining “War on Poverty” programs from the 1960’s. Federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, has enabled Head Start programs to provide comprehensive services for children and families of low-income for over 40 years. In 1994, federal legislation was passed to establish Early Head Start services for pregnant women, infants and toddlers (ages birth to three) of low-income. Early Head Start programs provide the same comprehensive array of services to its enrollees as do Head Start programs.

The Head Start philosophy is based on three key elements. These are:

Comprehensive child development services. To develop fully and to achieve social competence, children and their families need a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to early childhood development and health services, as well as family and community partnerships.
Parent involvement. Parents are encouraged to become involved in all aspects of the Head Start program, including shared governance in policy and program decisions that respond to their interests and needs. Additionally, Head Start programs work in close partnership with parents and other family members to develop and utilize their strengths so that all involved adults may successfully support child, personal and family goals.
Community partnerships and community-based services. Specific models of service provision flow out of the characteristics of different communities. To fulfill program and community goals, Head Start programs build linkages and collaborations with other service providers and leaders in the community.

	Hawaii	Outer Pacific
Grantee	7	4
Stand Alone Early Head Start	2	0
Head Start	4	4
Early Head Start/Head Start	1	0
Total # of Early Head Start Children Served	497	0
Total # of Head Start Children Served	2676	2943

as of 1/27/2010