Robin Carnahan: “I want to really thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon for their leadership on this bill under consideration…”

“I want to really thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon for their leadership on this bill under consideration today. The Improving Head Start Act of 2007 is a very good bill, and I am pleased to be able to support it and be here today and speak on this amendment. I am presenting this amendment to H.R. 1429 based on recommendations I received from my district Head Start leaders to address the goal of maintaining quality in the Head Start program. My amendment would allow for Head Start grantees to negotiate a funded enrollment level with the HHS Secretary if funding for the program does not keep pace with inflation. Over the past 3 years, Head Start and Early Head Start have experienced an estimated 8 percent real decline, adjusted for inflation, in Federal funding from fiscal year 2002 through fiscal year 2007. If this trend were to continue, the decline in funding would climb to 10 percent for Head Start programs. If President Bush's budget were to become law, the Head Start programs would suffer an 11 percent cut. This decline in funding has required already efficient Head Start agencies across the country to tighten their belts even more. Sadly, local agencies are now forced to pass these cuts on to quality staff.”