PRESS ROOM

NHSA SURVEY: OVER HALF OF HEAD START PROGRAMS FORCED TO REDUCE SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN FACE OF 11 PERCENT IN FEDERAL CUTS THAT COULD GROW TO 13 PERCENT IN FISCAL YEAR 2008

Strapped Programs Require Degrees But Pay Less than Nearby McDonald’s; With Custodial Staff Laid Off, Teachers Clean Lavatories, Social Workers Forced to Oversee 146 Families.

WASHINGTON, D.C.///February 7, 2007// -Already reeling from an 11 percent effective cut in federal support that could grow to 13 percent in Fiscal Year 2008, more than half (56 percent) of Head Start programs surveyed across the United States have been forced to cut early childhood health and education services for America’s most at-risk children and families, according to a major new survey by the National Head Start Association (NHSA), the voice of Head Start programs in the U.S.

As its top legislative priority, NHSA is seeking a boost of at least $750 million in Head Start and Early Head Start funding through FY 2008 to offset the currently precarious situation for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Conducted in October 2006, the NHSA survey of Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the U.S. found that programs are fighting a losing fight under the strain of the real and effective federal cuts imposed since 2002. Head Start programs have been forced to respond to rising costs and shrinking federal funds by laying off teachers and other staff, reducing salaries and benefits, cutting operating hours, downgrading services from full-day/full-year program to part-day/part-year programs, and reducing key special services (e.g., mental health, medical, dental, ESL offerings, and help for children with disabilities).

NHSA President and CEO Sarah Greene said: “We are talking about a genuine crisis today for Head Start. Congress faces a stark choice: It can do nothing and continue to watch the slow-motion demise of the outstanding Head Start program or it can restore the funding needed to get Head Start back on the right track. We are deeply concerned by the President’s 2008 budget cut for Head Start and encouraged by the modest continuing resolution increase in funds for the program. But Head Start needs a much bigger shot in the arm through 2008 if it is going to remain what it always was intended to be: the vital lifeline program for America’s one million most vulnerable children.”

The new NHSA survey was designed to gauge the impact on Head Start programs of a 1 percent cut in FY 2006 federal funding. The 2006 cut was imposed in the context of an estimated 11 percent real decline (inflation-adjusted) in federal funding from fiscal year 2002 through fiscal year 2007, which could grow to even higher 13 percent under President Bush’s proposed budget for FY 2008.

West Virginia Head Start Association Executive Director Becky Gooch-Erbacher (Wheeling, WV), said: “Unfortunately, In West Virginia, our Head Start programs have had to make some serious cuts to a range of critical services because of several tight budget years. Programs have reported that they have had to cut transportation services. This is a big problem. Our state is very rural and we don’t have a public transportation system and many parents do not have cars or a reliable means of transportation. Eliminating bus service in some areas has meant that children are not attending as regularly as they should and they are losing out on important educational programming.”

Other key NHSA survey findings are as follows:

69 percent of Head Start programs indicated that the budget cuts have resulted in staff reductions. Programs across the country have slashed staff positions and hours, combined positions, and eliminated salary increases and benefits. Many programs reported that they can only offer low and uncompetitive wages. This has created high turnover rates; highly qualified teachers and staff are being lost at a time when these staff members are desperately needed.
68 percent of programs indicated that their capacity to provide adequate salaries and benefits has been impaired, with staff morale at an all-time low throughout Head Start programs. In an Iowa program, the custodians were eliminated and teachers assumed the responsibilities. In Michigan, the reported family service worker caseload ratio in one program was 1:100. And, in Montana, local McDonald’s restaurants pay more than Head Start programs do, and McDonald’s does not require a college degree.
46 percent of programs reported that the budget cut has resulted in transportation cutbacks. Some programs have been forced to cut or reduce transportation for children and families. This factor has caused increased children’s absenteeism, and in some programs, children have dropped out completely.
47 percent of programs indicated that cuts have eroded direct services for families. Parent involvement activities have been scaled down. Programs are eliminating such things as GED assistance and career development for parents. At a time when the need for father involvement is at an all time high, some programs indicated that they have been forced to cut initiatives designed to increase such involvement.
44 percent of programs reported cuts in training and professional development. Some programs reported that they had to cut college tuition assistance, and stopped staff from traveling to top-rated training conferences.

Early Explorers Head Start/TGU School District 60 Head Start Director Allison Dybing (Towner, ND), said: “Unfortunately, the many gains we have made at our Head Start programs with children and families are at risk because of the budget cuts we have had to make due to a lack of adequate funding. Several of my staff positions have been eliminated while other staff are seeing even less pay for more work. This had led to an incredible turn-over of teaching staff. They simply cannot afford to stay and work for Head Start under such difficult circumstances. You can make $11 an hour at a local Arby’s restaurant, but we can only afford to pay our teaching assistants a little more than $8 per hour. Next year, we may face even direr budget problems. We have been told that our health insurance costs will rise by 17 to 23 percent. We simply cannot afford to pay for this increased cost and we may have to shift even more of the burden onto our employees.”

Carolina Community Action Agency Head Start Director Linnie Miller (Rock Hill, SC), said: “Unfortunately, because of inadequate funding the last few years, our program has had to make some significant cut-backs. We used to provide year round services to our children and families. We found that this was necessary because our parents are trying to get off of public assistance and are now working. However, due to budget cuts, we had to curtail our programming to only 10 months. This means that the children we serve are missing out on a full two months of high quality early education. And for two months parents do not have a safe and nurturing environment for their children while the adults are working.”

Examples of reports from programs in specific states include the following:

California. Reduced program operating hours, cut services to children and families, cut transportation services, cut staff, reduced staff salaries and benefits, high staff turnovers, losing highly qualified staff, reduced supplies, cut training and professional development, and cut services to ESL.
Kentucky. Cut program operating hours (example: converted to four-day weeks and/or from full-day to part-day), reduced instructional materials, cut services for children, cut educationally enriching field trips, reduced GED assistance, family literacy and career development for parents, cut parent services, cuts to parent committee budgets, reduced transportation services, reduced training and professional development, cut staff (example: reduced staff by seven people, cut janitors, and instructional floaters), cut staff hours and benefits, eliminated staff raises, unable to attract/retain highly qualified staff, overloaded remaining staff, threatened NAEYC accreditation, and lost child care partnerships.
Nebraska. Cut services to children and families, cut supplies, cut program hours (e.g., reduced days from five to four), cut transportation services, converted center-based classrooms to home-based, cut training and professional development, no COLA increases for staff (many staff members are making less than $8 per hr), overloaded/overworked staff, increased turnover (e.g., a 240-day program specialist left for a 186-day position for $10K more), and facing more staff turmoil.
New York. Cut services for children, cut services for families, reduced staff hours, eliminated staff salary increases, inadequate classroom supplies, overloaded/overworked staff, and facing site evictions.
Tennessee. Cut services for children and families, cut transportation services, cut number of family service workers and increasing caseload of remaining, overloaded/overworked staff, no COLA for staff, and cut training and professional development.
Texas. Reduced operating hours, cut instructional supplies, cut parent involvement budget, cut educationally enriching field trips, cut adult literacy programs (example: reading, GED, and ESL), cut extended day services for working mothers, cannot provide adequate transportation services, and cut training and professional development.
Washington State. Decreased educational consultant hours that supported curriculum development and teaching teams, reduced home visits, cut operating hours/days (e.g., one program went from 210 days per year to 160 days and from 7.5 daily hours to 6.5 hours), cut staff positions (management and direct services), cut staff salary increases, reduced benefits, cut food services (e.g., purchased least expensive types of food and cut the portion sizes), cut classroom interpretation (in some cases more than 20 percent of children on ESL), cut male involvement services, cut transportation services, cut training and professional development, unable to maintain technology, increased dependence on school districts (creating poor perception of Head Start when school system had to absorb a $30,000 deficit), 14.5 percent insurance increase passed on to employees, overloaded/overworked staff, unable to attract and retain highly qualified staff, and low employee morale.
Wisconsin. Reduced operating hours/days, which creates problems for working-poor parents), overloaded/overworked staff (e.g., one social worker handles 146 families), cut staff (example: teacher assistants), cut transportation services, cut educationally enriching field trips, and cut training and professional development.

For the full survey findings, go to http://www.saveheadstart.org on the Web.

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 1 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: Ailis Aaron Wolf, (703) 276-3265 or aaaron@hastingsgroup.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A streaming audio replay of this NHSA news event will be available as of 6 p.m. ET on February 7, 2007 at http://www.SaveHeadStart.org