Why Do we Need Head Start?

Invest now, benefit later. High-quality early childhood care, education and family services pay off in a myriad of benefits to children, their families and society as a whole.



Comprehensive programs. Research demonstrates that academic readiness and social/emotional development all affect a child's readiness for school. Head Start's programs address all those areas.



Research shows first years critical. Research shows that children's experiences have a dramatic effect on how they approach life in later years.



Patterns form early. Brain research also indicates 90 percent of the brain develops by age 3, and concepts of compassion, conscience and personal responsibility are established by age 4.



Preschool predicts success. Research clearly shows that children who attend preschool are more literate, more educated and have fewer social problems.



Low income families need Head Start. To quality for Head Start, families must be below federal poverty guidelines.



Low-income children are at risk without Head Start. Without Head Start, low-income children would miss the opportunity to learn and grow in preschool and would be at much greater risk for academic and social difficulties later in life.