Statement on Senate Committee Passage of the Strong Start for America’s Children Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following statement should be attributed to Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association, on the Senate Committee’s passage of the Strong Start for America’s Children Act:

“The Strong Start for America’s Children Act is a testament to our shared national commitment of ensuring every child has access to the meaningful and lasting benefits of high-quality, early learning programs, like Head Start. We applaud the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, chaired by Senator Harkin, for their leadership in expanding the availability of these programs to children and families in need of an opportunity.

As a leader in the early childhood field, Head Start targets our most at-risk children and is the national model for the delivery of a flexible, locally adapted, comprehensive two-generational approach to early childhood education. We are pleased the Strong Start Act builds upon existing early learning programs in order to ensure services that best meet the needs of each local community. Local flexibility is crucial to maintaining consistent, high-quality services that are effectively placing families on the path to self-sufficiency.”