News Release 3/9/11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Sally Aman
March 9, 2011 202-262-8003
H.R. 1 Fails Senate Vote
Thousands of Head Start Children, Jobs still at Stake
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the Senate rejected H.R. 1, legislation that proposed nearly $1.1 billion in cuts to Head Start and Early Head Start programs nationwide.
The following statement should be attributed to Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association:
"Today our nation's most vulnerable children and families cheered the fact that H.R. 1, which sought to enact devastating 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.
We hope our elected officials will act in the best interest of the American children who need it most by reaching a consensus that maintains full funding for Head Start. The future of over 1 million children is hanging in the balance and should not be jeopardized as a result of political theater.
We cannot move forward as a nation if we abandon years of investment and progress made in improving the early education, health and well-being of at-risk children and families."
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Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association (www.nhsa.org) was the first Executive Director of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), has held leadership positions in local, state and national early childhood education organizations and is serving on a number of governing Boards of national and local organizations.
Additional information about the National Head Start Association can be found at www.nhsa.org.