Government Study Finds Early Head Start Works; Current Funding Allows Only 3 Percent of Eligible Children to Participate

6/4/2002

From: Tracy Zimmerman, 202-518-8047, for NHSA

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Children who attended Early Head Start made significant gains in language and problem-solving skills, according to a government funded study conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. released yesterday. Furthermore, participation in Early Head Start improved parenting skills.

National Head Start Association (NHSA) President and CEO Sarah Greene issued the following statement:

"This study is the latest of many that confirm that Head Start and Early Head Start work. With such evidence continuing to mount, the real tragedy lies in the enormous numbers of eligible children who are left behind. In fact, 97 percent of children living in poverty are turned away as federal funding only allows for 3 percent of our nation's poorest children to attend Early Head Start.

"That is why we continue to be baffled by the Administration's focus on added bureaucratic layers rather than on fulfilling the President's stated mission of leaving no child behind. President Bush's proposed budget for Head Start and Early Head Start would leave more than two million children behind.

"The program's success today is a direct result of the strong bipartisan support of Members of Congress and past administrations. The 1994 and 1998 reauthorizations of the Head Start Act clearly strengthened the educational component of Head Start and Early Head Start while maintaining the comprehensive services that poor children so critically need to succeed. We hope that the needs of our youngest children will continue to come before politics."

The Mathematica Report found:

-- Children who attended Early Head Start scored higher on cognitive and language development than children who could not benefit from Early Head Start services.

-- Early Head Start parents were more likely to read to their children.

-- Positive effects of Early Head Start increased over time making the program a vital and cost effective approach to fighting poverty."

-- Early Head Start programs continue to have a significant impact on parenting outcomes. Parents were observed to be more emotionally supportive of their children and were less likely to engage in negative parent behaviors than parents not able to participate.

-- Early Head Start significantly impacts the ability of participating parents to become self-sufficient.

To schedule an interview with Sarah Greene, contact Tracy Zimmerman at 202-518-8047.