New Resource Outlines Crucial Role of Head Start for Rural Communities and Children with Disabilities

In May, the Children’s Equity Project (CEP) released a new resource on Head Start’s crucial impact on access to quality early learning and related services for children with disabilities and children in rural communities.

 Head Start’s Footprint: A Focus on Rural Communities, Children with Disabilities, and Vital Health Services highlights the program’s long-standing commitment to the holistic support of children and their families and emphasizes the potential harm that cuts to Head Start would have on these communities.

In addition to Head Start’s individualized approach, the program has a long-standing commitment to inclusive education, which allows all preschoolers to receive instruction in the same setting. Since 1972, programs have been expected to reserve at least 10% of their slots for children with disabilities. Integration of preschoolers across ability levels improves social and learning outcomes for both disabled and non-disabled children, yet Head Start is the exception rather than the norm. In 2023, only 41% of three- to five-year-olds with disabilities received the majority of their special education in inclusive settings alongside their peers. Additionally, fewer than one-third of states require specific training to care for children with disabilities, whereas educators in all Head Start programs must participate in ongoing training and must design and offer engaging lesson plans and materials for children with disabilities. 

Programs also ensure all children receive developmental screeners within 45 days of enrollment to identify potential disabilities or developmental delays and coordinate necessary supports for children and families as early as possible. Head Start’s ability to serve as a crucial entry point to the health care system with basic screenings and specialized referrals benefits all children with disabilities, especially those in rural communities who may experience more delays in identification due to an overall lack of child care and health care services. 

Families in rural counties have greater challenges accessing child care due to factors like infrastructure, transportation, provider turnover, and lack of supply. In fact, a 2021 survey found that only 26% of rural parents were able to find child care within five miles and were more likely to travel more than ten miles to access a program. Head Start programs use data to understand these barriers to access and then work to establish infrastructure and community-based supports to offer consistent care. In the 2023-2024 program year, 45.9% of total funded Head Start slots were in rural congressional districts, compared to 22.4% in urban districts.

Head Start is also one of the few remaining programs that places a large emphasis on health screenings, preventative care, and follow-up health services in addition to providing children with breakfast and lunch daily. With 60% of maternal care deserts and 85% of the nation’s most food insecure counties being in rural counties, these families are able to rely on Head Start for these essential services.

Head Start offers a wide range of services that help families meet their basic needs and thrive through access to quality early learning and care, reliable and consistent health services, and nutritious meals and nutrition information. The CEP report recognizes Head Start’s unique position to promote positive outcomes for children and families well beyond care hours, particularly for rural communities and children with disabilities as these groups often face increased difficulty accessing these services. Without programs like Head Start filling these gaps in access, these communities would not only struggle to find reliable child care, but likely have difficulty accessing health and nutrition services as well.