Statement on House Appropriations Committee FY18 Funding Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Appropriations Committee approved a Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) funding bill for the Labor, Health, Human Services, Education and Related Agencies accounts. Head Start and Early Head Start were given $9,275,000,000 in the bill, which represents an increase of $22 million for workforce investments through a cost of living adjustment. The following statement should be attributed to Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association:
 
“Subcommittee Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro, along with the full House Appropriations Committee, are to be commended for continuing to recognize the remarkable work and lasting value of Head Start, a family-focused initiative touching nearly every community of our country. In the face of declining budgets and tough choices, Head Start received a welcome $22 million increase that will help programs retain top-notch educators. While additional funding is needed to thoroughly address the challenges facing Head Start’s workforce and quality improvement, we are grateful to the Subcommittee’s leadership for affirming their commitment to supporting additional resources. Head Start programs are innovating, improving learning, and offering more, higher-quality services, and in the days ahead, we look forward to addressing with Congress the very real challenges that are ahead of us.”