Lucille Roybal-Allard: “after years of hard work on both sides of the aisle to create a Head Start reauthorization bill that treats our Nation's…”

“after years of hard work on both sides of the aisle to create a Head Start reauthorization bill that treats our Nation's neediest children fairly, it is with a heavy heart that I must oppose the final passage of H.R. 2123. Head Start is designed to ensure that all children--regardless of their family's income, race, or ethnic background--are able to enter kindergarten ready to learn. The Boustany amendment, which promotes discrimination on the basis of religion for faith-based organizations, destroys the principle of fairness that I believe is central and crucial to the success of Head Start. It is for this reason that I cannot support final passage of the bill. I have long been a supporter of the Head Start program because each and every year I witness the dramatic positive impact that early intervention services have on children's lives in my congressional district. My district includes many children who are in desperate need of Head Start services, especially those Hispanic children who depend on Head Start services to learn critical early literacy skills. These skills are doubly important now to meet the rigorous requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Latino children currently make up more than one-third of all eligible Head Start children, and the Los Angeles County Office of Education is home to the largest Head Start program in the Nation, serving more than 24,000 children.…”