We Did It! Head Start in The ARRA
Date Posted: 02/23/2009
February 23, 2009
Dear Colleagues:
We did it! As we write this letter, both houses of Congress have passed H.R. 1: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("ARRA"), also known as the Economic Stimulus. President Obama signed it into law earlier this week. The ARRA provides increased funding of $1 billion for Head Start and $1.1 billion for Early Head Start.
What could this money mean to you and your program? While we don't know all the details yet because OHS is working them out, we believe that these new funds will include:
- A significant cost-of-living increase for staff;
- Substantial quality funds that could be used to provide:
- Improved compensation to retain and attract qualified staff
- Assistance to teachers for completion of postsecondary course work;
- Funds to employ additional qualified classroom staff to reduce the child-to-teacher ratio in the classroom;
- Improvements for physical environments of Head Start programs;
- Training and technical assistance funds that could be used to provide:
- Assistance with staff career development plans;
- In-service and Pre-service training as well as tuition reimbursement;
- Improvements to the management and implementation of Head Start services and systems; and
- Funds to expand Head Start and Early Head Start enrollment and hire additional staff.
This new funding for our Head Start programs would not be possible without all of NHSA's efforts, hand in hand with yours. These efforts, which were night and day for the past few months, have exhausted our resources dedicated to Government Affairs and funded by the Dollar-per-Child campaign. But our Government Affairs work is far from over. We have much to do on the ARRA implementation, as well as on a host of other important legislative priorities for the Head Start community. As a result, we need your help in replenishing our Dollar-per-Child fund, which didn't garner much support last year, so that NHSA's efforts, in tandem with State and Regional Head Start Associations, can continue to produce results for our community on Capitol Hill and with the Office of Head Start.
Therefore, we write to ask you to make a donation to the Dollar-Per-Child campaign. If you have already done so this calendar year, please consider donating again. No amount is too small-a dollar, five dollars, 25 dollars, 50 dollars-each donation will help us immensely and all are vital for supporting NHSA's advocacy efforts. These funds will help to ensure that the Head Start community's needs are addressed by those on Capitol Hill and at the Office of Head Start.
Our success on the ARRA is just the beginning! We must keep up the good work. Together, we can continue to make great things happen for the Head Start community. To donate, please mail your checks today to NHSA Dollar Per Child Campaign, P.O. Box 890080, Charlotte, NC 28289-0080. Be sure to note which program, state, or region your donation is representing.
Again, thank you for your efforts on the ARRA with us and for your continued support. NHSA is here to work with you and for you on matters of importance of the Head Start community.
Sincerely,
Ron Herndon
NHSA Board Chair
Michael McGrady
Interim Executivce Director
Ben Allen
Director of Research and Evaluation