Political Quotes

“I raise in support of Hard Start as we know it. Rather than dismantling Head Start, I call on the leadership of both parties to make Head Start bipartisan as it has been for 38 years, to keep the current Federal-to-local structure of Head Start intact rather than supporting any measures to shift oversight to any number of states, to maintain and improve upon current Federal performance standards and oversight--to ensure high quality and the array of comprehensive services offered by Head Start, to provide for further improvements including higher teacher qualifications, matched with provisions for funding teacher training and higher salaries, and to move towards fully funding Head Start, beginning with at least a $1 billion increase for FY 2004. All the Head Start programs in Ohio say that if the States inherit control of the program, it is likely the current comprehensive focus for Head Start will be lost. This change could eliminate critical services, such as promoting children's social and emotional well-being in addition to their academic skills, health and dental screenings and treatment, mental health services, parent-education programs and social services. They say that: families who are currently receiving help but have income above 150 percent of poverty will lose their assistance the next time their eligibility is predetermined. The changes also include an increase in parent fees, which will increase the amount families pay by an average of $50.”