As we approach the 30th anniversary of Early Head Start, barely more than 1 out of 10 eligible babies and families receive services. The lack of workforce capacity and funding continue to hinder growth in the program.
Head Start has been the national model of excellence in early childhood for over fifty years. With the addition of Early Head Start in 1995, the program responded to the mounting body of evidence around the need to start services as early as possible to ensure children are on track for success. This set a high bar for comprehensive services that ensure early developmental outcomes for infants and toddlers, benefitting not only the children served in Early Head Start programs, but elevating the conversation nationally to help launch a sustained focus on the importance of education in the earliest years.
