News Release 3/26/2010
Head Start Community Honors Senator Tom Harkin with Head Start Heroes Award
Washington, D.C.///February 23, 2010///The Iowa Head Start Association presented Senator Tom Harkin with the Fifth Lady Bird Johnson Head Start Heroes Award on January 27, 2010. The award is named after "Lady Bird" Johnson in honor of her role as Honorary Chairman of Head Start during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Past recipients of this bipartisan award are the late Senator Ted Kennedy (2007), Rep. George Miller (2008), Elliot Richardson (posthumously in 2009) and Rep. Dave Obey (2009). The National Head Start Association and the Region VII Head Start Association joined the Iowa Head Start Association in presenting the award to Senator Harkin.
Senator Harkin received this award because he has been a strong supporter of federal investment in Head Start. He serves as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the Senate committee responsible for reauthorizing the Head Start program. Senator Harkin is also Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. This subcommittee helps to determine the level of funding Head Start programs receive each year.
Kesha Curry, a Head Start parent and member of the Board of Directors of all three associations stated, "As the mother of three young Head Start boys, it is crucial for the leaders and decision makers of our country to understand how important programs like Head Start are for our children and our families. Senator Harkin's commitment to Head Start speaks volumes to how well he understands the struggle of everyday people."
Penny Lingle, President of the Iowa Head Start Association, presented Senator Harkin with the award. She stated "Senator Harkin has always been such a strong champion for our nation's at-risk children and families. His dedication to Head Start is unparalleled and, as a native Iowan whose life has been significantly impacted by Head Start, I couldn't be more proud to present him with the Lady Bird Johnson Head Start Hero's award." Growing up often without heat in the winters, Penny was a Head Start child and eventually a Head Start parent. As a parent, her Head Start program encouraged and assisted her as she received her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees. Today she is the Director of the West Central Community Action Head Start Program in Moorhead, IA in addition to being the President of the Iowa Head Start Association's Board of Directors.
ABOUT NHSA
The National Head Start Association (http://www.nhsa.org) is a private not-for-profit membership organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of Head Start children and their families. It represents more than one million children, 200,000 staff and 2,600 Head Start programs in the United States. The Association provides support for the entire Head Start community by advocating for policies that strengthen services to Head Start children and their families; by providing extensive training and professional development to Head Start staff; and by developing and disseminating research, information, and resources that enrich Head Start program delivery.
CONTACT: Ben Allen, (703) 739-7558 or ballen@nhsa.org.