Statement on Senate Appropriations Committee FY17 Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) Labor, Health and Human Services funding bill, which includes a $35 million increase in Head Start funding to support high quality early learning services. The following statement should be attributed to Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association:
“The Head Start community applauds Chairmen Cochran and Blunt, Ranking Members Mikulski and Murray, and the rest of the Senate Appropriations Committee for their long-standing support of Head Start, and for the funding provided in this bill to support the continued delivery of vital early learning services to vulnerable children and families. Understanding the allocation provided to the subcommittee were severely constrained, we appreciate Head Start being considered a funding priority. The $35 million increase will be instrumental to providing comprehensive early childhood services to nearly 1,000,000 Head Start children from birth to age five.
As the Office of Head Start prepares to release new performance standards, leading to significant extensions in the number of days and hours children spend in Head Start, we do remain concerned about the potential reduction in the number of children and families who will be able to access Head Start based on the funding levels included in the Senate bill. We look forward to working with Congress as this legislation progresses to ensure Head Start can continue offering high quality, evidence-based education and care, without reducing the number of children enrolled.”
In Recent News
Potential Government Shutdown Statement
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of a potential federal shutdown, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association Yasmina Vinci released the following statement: “No matter the length, a federal shutdown has the potential to unleash a wave of uncertainty and hardship on the children and their families who depend on Early Head Start and Head…
Head Start Alumnus Sen. Warnock Introduces HEADWAY Act to Increase Access to Early Head Start Programs
Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) keynoted the National Head Start Association’s Fall Leadership Institute and, during his address, introduced the bipartisan HEADWAY Act (Head Start Education and Development Workforce Advancement and Yield Act). The legislation, which is co-led by Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), is designed to address early child care workforce shortages by…
11 Head Start Programs Earn Program of Excellence Accreditation
Washington, D.C. – This week during the Fall Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., the National Head Start Association (NHSA) recognized the outstanding performance of 11 Head Start grant recipients as part of NHSA’s 2023-28 Program of Excellence Accreditation. The Program of Excellence recognizes and supports the outstanding performance of Head Start grant recipients nationwide who…