Louise Slaughter: “Head Start works. In my home district, over 3,300 children benefit from Head Start programs. Ninety-seven percent of…”

“Head Start works. In my home district, over 3,300 children benefit from Head Start programs. Ninety-seven percent of these children are part of families that live below the poverty level or receive public assistance. For these children in Western New York and the other million children enrolled in Head Start across the Nation, I oppose the Head Start Reauthorization Act and its attempts to dismantle Head Start. Countless studies have shown that Head Start is an effective program that helps some of our Nation's neediest youths succeed. It takes a holistic approach to children's welfare by proving early childhood education in reading, writing, mathematics, and language skills, providing medical and dental care, providing mental health services, and providing disability assessment and treatment. Virtually every single child in Head Start programs in my district has received appropriate preventative and primary medical care and comprehensive dental care. This is health care they likely would not receive otherwise. The comprehensive approach to preparing children for academic success is itself a success. Dollars spent on Head Start produce taxpayer dividends for year. Children who go through Head Start are better prepared for elementary school. Without Head Start, many of these children would be far behind their peers from the first day of kindergarten. Head Start children are less likely to repeat a grade, require special education, or be convicted of a crime.”