Press Releases
- February 12, 2012 - This evening, President Barack Obama delivered the 2013 State of the Union Address. He described a new initiative to provide expanding access to early education. Read NHSA's statement applauding the President's initiative and pointing out the research-driven success of the Head Start model. Read the NHSA Statement...
- December 21, 2012 - Today, the United States Department of Health and Human Services issued further follow-up with the third grade results for the Head Start cohort whose first grade results were published in the Head Start Impact Study released in 2010. Read the NHSA Statement...
- October 19, 2012 - The National Head Start Association mourns the death of former U.S. Senator, Arlen Specter. Senator Specter was Pennsylvania’s longest-serving U.S. Senator and a good friend to Head Start. Read the NHSA Statement...
- September 14, 2012 - Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a sequestration implementation report including information for federal agencies and Congress describing the details of automatic spending cuts set to take effect in January. Read the NHSA Statement...
- July 25, 2012 - Today, Head Start Director, Dr. Tammy Mann, testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies regarding the potential impact of the sequester on Head Start and Early Head Start. Read the NHSA Statement...
- July 9, 2012 - Earlier this year, a suit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make major changes in the Designation Renewal System (DRS). Today, the court ruled in favor of HHS and issued an opinion upholding DRS in its entirety. Read the NHSA Statement...
- June 14, 2012 - Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed legislation to fund Head Start and Early Head Start in Fiscal Year 2013. Read the NHSA Statement...
- June 12, 2012 - Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee began consideration of legislation to fund the Office of Head Start in Fiscal Year 2013. The initial draft of the legislation, considered by the Labor, HHS & Education Subcommittee, includes $8.038 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start. Read the NHSA Statement...
- April 17, 2012 - Today, The Office of Head Start announced new details and modifications regarding the Designation Renewal System. Read the NHSA Statement...
- February 13, 2012 - Today, President Obama submitted to Congress a FY2013 federal budget proposal that includes $8billion to fund Head Start and Early Head Start. Read the NHSA Response...
- December 13, 2011 - Today, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Head Start Safety Report from a May 2009 - October 2010 audit of three Head Start grantees from each of eight States that were most at risk for noncompliance with health and safety regulations and standards. Read the NHSA Response...
- November 8, 2011 - Today, President Obama announced that the Administration will go forward with final regulations related to the recompetition of underperforming Head Start and Early Head Start agencies. more...
- October 13, 2011 - As part of Head Start Awareness month, over 200 Head Start irectors and early childhood professionals from across the country gathered at the Corcoran Gallery of Art to honor three exceptional Head Start champions and preview an original, two-minute animated video narrated by Maria Shriver. more...
- September 29, 2011 - Today the House Appropriations Committee released a draft of its Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services & Education Appropriations bill. The draft legislation provides sufficient funding for Head Start and Early Head Start. more...
- September 19, 2011 - By providing sufficient funding for Head Start and Early Head Start, the Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee today demonstrated a strong commitment to at-risk children and families across the country. more...
- August 2, 2011 - "Decision makers must not only have the integrity to protect and preserve past obligations, as they have demonstrated by this compromise, but they also must have the foresight to make wise, long-term investments in our future - a robust future made stronger by the window of opportunity that Head Start offers to our nation's most vulnerable children." more...
- June 9, 2011 - "Head Start/Early Head Start offers our most vulnerable children a window of opportunity to set a course for lifetime success through critical early education, health and support services. As Congress makes tough decisions about getting the nation's fiscal house in order, I urge our elected officials to act in the best interest of at-risk children by maintaining sufficient and robust funding for Head Start/Early Head Start. " more...
- May 27, 2011 - "The House appropriators' proposal places the burden of managing the nation's budget deficit directly on the backs of children. Head Start offers our most vulnerable children a window of opportunity to set a course for lifetime success through critical early education, health and support services. As Congress makes tough decisions about our fiscal solvency, they absolutely must keep this window of opportunity open. more...
- April 15, 2011 - "Last night our elected officials acted responsibly sensibly on behalf of America's most vulnerable children by agreeing to provide $7.57 billion for Head Start centers. While we consider the agreement to be an imperfect, short-term solution, we are grateful to our supporters in the Administration and Congress for taking a stand to protect Head Start." more...
- March 9, 2011 - "Today our nation's most vulnerable children and families cheered the fact that H.R. 1, which sought to enact devastatin budget cuts to Head Start, failed to pass the Senate. Unfortunately, the Senate could not agree upon an alternative measure that would maintain full funding for Head Start. more...
- February 12, 2011 - Last night we learned the era of a stalwart and historical commitment to sending the most vulnerable among us along the pathway to success is in jeopardy. Some members of Congress have now promised to cut 200,000 children from Head Start programs, a 45 year-old national commitment that pioneered early learning and whole-family approaches as a pathway to lifelong success. more...
- December 11, 2010 - Days after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a long-term continuing resolution (CR) and the U.S. Senate introduced an omnibus appropriations bill amidst ongoing budget negotiations, the Head Start/Early Head Start parent community kicked off a petition urging Congress to be sure to maintain funding for Head Start and Early Head Start children in fiscal year 2011. more...
- November 4, 2010 - The National Head Start Association mourns Tuesday's death of Jule Meyer Sugarman, one of Head Start's founders and a creative administrative genius. More than 27 million at-risk children, their families and communities have benefited from Head Start programs since its inception. more ...
- June 16, 2010 - Juno Baby, Inc., one of the country's most innovative children's media companies bringing products that encourage music appreciation in young children, has announced a partnership with the National Head Start Association. With the strong belief that beautiful music enriches lives, Juno Baby has partnered with the National Head Start Association (NHSA.org) with the mission to bring beautiful, orchestral music to the entire Head Start population. more...
- May 5, 2010 - The National Head Start Association (“NHSA”) understands that U.S. Representative Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee intends to hold a hearing on a yet-to-be released Government Accounting Office (“GAO”) report containing allegations regarding some local Head Start agencies. We look forward to reviewing the GAO report and continue to support accountability and transparency in the use of Head Start funds. more...
- April 18, 2010 - The National Head Start Association mourns the death of Dr. John Meier, one of Head Start's early administrators and a prominent national scholar. Dr. Meier began his relationship with Head Start when President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Meier to serve on the Head Start Professional Advisory Committee. In that capacity, Meier served on a team of reviewers who ... more
- March 26, 2010 - The Iowa Head Start Association recently presented Senator Tom Harkin with the fifth Lady Bird Johnson Head Start Heroes Award. Senator Harkin received this award because of his strong support of federal investment in Head Start. The award was madde at a January 27 ceremony on Capitol Hill...more
- January 14, 2010 - The National Head Start Association stands ready to partner with the Obama Administration and others as they announce plans to strengthen Head Start and Early Head Start programs following new research. The research conclusions are a mixed bag...more
- September 9, 2009 - The National Head Start Association recently announced a collaboration with Together Rx Access to launch the Together Rx Access® FOR HEAD START Card. The Card will help eligible uninsured individuals and families associated with Head Start access immediate and meaningful savings on prescription medicines and products right at their neighborhood pharmacies...more
- August 26, 2009 - The National Head Start Association mourns the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a tireless champion of the Head Start program and one the most effective U.S. Senators...more
- August 11, 2009 - The National Head Start Association mourns the death of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics, sister of the late President John F. Kennedy, and wife of Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. who founded the Head Start Program...more
- April 27, 2009 - The National Head Start Association (NHSA) announced today that Yasmina Vinci is the new executive director of the membership organization representing more than one million children, 200,000 staff and 2,600 Head Start programs in the United States...more
- February 5, 2009 - Effort to zero-out Head Start Funds defeated in the Senate, but the House version is preferred...more
- February 5, 2009 - It's time to set the record straight about Head Start/Early Head Start and the economic stimulus bill now before the U.S. Senate. The truth is that up to 60,000 jobs could be created -- and that is not even including related construction positions - with the $2.1 billion has been designated for Head Start and Early Head Start...more
- January 15, 2009 - NHSA applauds $2.1 Billion in Economic Recovery Package for Head Start/Early Head Start...more
- January 8, 2009 - Between 62,000 and 120,000 new jobs could be created where they are needed the most in the United States if the Obama economic recovery package now working its way through Congress includes an urgently needed $4.3 billion boost for Head Start and Early Head Start...more
- October 16, 2008 - Research Clearly Demonstrates That America's Comprehensive Early Education/Health Program Is Effective, Generates Long-Term Benefits; Nearly 40-Year-Old Study Cited in Debate is Flawed, Outdated...more
- September 24, 2008 - D.C. Four-Year-Old Featured as 25-Millionth Child in "Most Important" U.S. Investment in Children, Families and Communities; "Father of Head Start" Joins Leaders From Across Nation for Event...more
- September 15, 2008 - The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) announced today that they will work together to promote voter education and registration at local Head Start facilities across the nation...more
- July 30, 2008 - The death of Dr. Julius Richmond, one of the founding fathers of Head Start, marks a sad day for all Americans who care about childhood education, health and family issues, according to the National Head Start Association (NHSA)...more
- June 19, 2008 - Faced with an effective $1 billion cut in funding since 2002, cash-strapped Head Start programs across the United States will have no choice but to... more
- March 19, 2008 - NHSA Survey: 77 percent of Head Start programs are "at a breaking point," unable to absorb new cuts and hundreds of new rules ... more
- March 13, 2008 - NHSA warns that 14,000 Head Start child slot cut proposed by Bush Administration is new White House effort to "dismantle" Head Start ... more
- January 24, 2008 - Billion Broken Promises" Experts Warn "Crippling Crisis" Looms for Head Start Due to Cut in Appropriations, Hundreds of New Unfunded Requirements ... more