The Head Start Program

Paper Summary:

This paper critiques the 40-year-old Head Start Program that is attributed to President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty" of 1965. It discusses the legislation of the program and analyzes its effectiveness. The paper discusses whether the program is still managing to combat the widespread child poverty that still exists today in the United States.

From the Paper:

"Koball Et Al explained that 7.2 million American children in low-income families had parents without high school diplomas, 10.2 million had parents with high school education only, and another 10.2 children in low income households had parents with some or considerable college education. (2006) One wonders if Education is the panacea argued. Reading between the lines, Head Start has brought untold help to under-privileged children and their families across the United States and in states such as California inspiring remarkable local level projects. Since 1965, Head Start has become institutionalized as a familiar adjunct in under-privileged areas, urban and rural, that reflects change in how children at risk are identified. However, since the creation of the federal agenda of 1965, immense numbers of children and families continue to need support and attention in detailed programs addressing teen mothers, adult illiteracy, the detection of learning disabilities; inadequate basic needs in working homes, and new need for services for Hispanic or other non-English first language groups. Some states show a focus on home visit or outreach services to children and adults in environments perhaps more trying, in different ways than during the 1930s Global Depression."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barnett, W.S. and J.T. Hustedt. "Head Start's Lasting Benefits." Infants and Young Children. 18. (2005): 16-24.
• Coleman, J.S. Equality of Educational Opportunity. Washington: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare - Office of Education, 1966.
• Koball, H., M. Chau and A. Douglas-Hall. Parents' Low Education Leads to Low Income Despite Full-Time Employment. New York: Columbia University - National Center for Child Poverty, 2006.
• NCCP. Living at the Edge. New York: Columbia University - National Center for Child Poverty, 2003.
• OTCD. A History of Major Legislation Affecting Child Care and Preschool Funding. Sacramento: On the Capitol Doorstep, 2006.

More papers on The Head Start Program:

• Persuasive Essay # 133406 : "The Head Start Program"
• Essay # 50108 : "The Head Start Program"
• Research Paper # 97543 : "The Impact of Head Start Programs"

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