October is Head Start Awareness Month!

Each October we commemorate Head Start Awareness Month and reflect on the important impact this crucial program has had on children and families for generations. Check out our blog series which highlights the history, benefits, and quality that make this program such a success.

Read the full blog series through the links below: 

• A Brief History and Overview of the Head Start Program
• Early Head Start
• Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships

These blogs explore how, since its founding in 1965, Head Start has been able to serve over 35 million children from low-income families through comprehensive early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services. Unfortunately, while Head Start and Early Head Start provide a strong start to the millions of children they have reached, it is insufficiently funded and only 31% of eligible 3-5 year olds currently have access to Head Start. The numbers get even worse when considering that Early Head Start serves just 11% of those eligible. 

Head Start and Early Head Start are crucial components of a strong slate of federal programs that help prepare young children from low-income families for success in school and in life. Over the next several weeks, FFYF will spotlight how the Head Start program benefits not just the children they serve but also their families and by extension their communities.