Head Start Observation

Head Start is a Federal funded, comprehensive child development program that has an overall goal to prepare children from low-income families for school (Administration for Children and Families). The Head Start Program is under the direction of local, non-profit organizations in almost every county in the world. The Head Start Program originally began in 1965, by

Head Start is a federally funded, education development program that was created in 1965. The program provides education and services for eligible children from low-income families. Head Start 's philosophy focuses on the development of social-emotional, physical and mental health, nutrition, and working with families and the community and stated “low-income people should help plan and run their own programs” (p. 41-42). Head Start has truly expanded their resources over the years by providing a full school year for ages 3-6 years old and offering services such as health screenings, referrals, and social services (p. 42). Most importantly, each and every Head Start program must follow the federal Head Start Program Performace Standards that address all areas of development (p. 42). The program is truly committed to support low-income families and creating an education system that supports all aspects of the child.

Research for Head Start has found many lasting benefits for learning and educational achievement for its attendees. Including school progress and educational attainment, social behavior, and reduction of delinquency and crime that is usually found within disadvantaged families. Head Start addresses all the guidelines within the Family Impact checklist on providing all adequate services to low income families. As mentioned above, under Family Support and Responsibilities, Head Start is a federally funded program, which also receives donations and grants. Therefore, the federal government must increase funding to the Head Start program so children from low-income families, get early education services to help them succeed in school. Since Head Start programs have minimal funding there are not enough spots available to include every child in need of the services provided by this program, especially within certain regions.

meeting educational, health, social service, and parental needs. “Head Start also wants to help bring about a greater degree of social competence in these children (Mallory and Goldsmith,

Head Start was created in 1965, during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential administration, as part of the Great Society plan and the War on Poverty (Currie , 2001). After observing the quality discrepancies between low income and high income educational settings, Johnson realized that “Five and six year old children are inheritors of poverty 's curse…(Johnson, 1965)” As a result, he called for the creation of a program that would allow “…preschool children of poverty [to] get a Head Start on their future (Johnson, 1965).” Soon, Head Start was established, with the goal of “enhance[ing] children’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development (Mississippi Head Start Association, 2012).”

The research finds that participants with the lowest initial skills are the most beneficial from public Head Start programs. But this study also states that Head Start program has lots of limitation. At the beginning of this research paper, the author introduces the history and definition of Head Start program and its main purpose. He states, “The federal Head Start program is the largest early childhood education initiative in the United States, giving matching grants to preschool centers that provide parent training, early education, and health services to poor children and their families” (Healy, 2015, para. 1). As the author emphasis, the Head Start program is not suitable for all children but only offers to children from the low-income families. There are still many families left who need the public

Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs which serve children from birth to age five, pregnant woman and their extended families. They are child-focused programs that have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families. . These programs try to prepare young children intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically for their future educational and social endeavors. ( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002).. The programs prepare the parent(s) to be supportive in the endeavor. Head Start has the philosophy that parents are a child's first and most influential teacher. The Head Start program is beneficial to early learning.

Head Start programs came about in 1964; when President Johnson declared a “war on poverty.” His idea was you must break the cycle of poverty to win the war. The program’s idea was to help break the cycle of poverty by, providing the children of low-income families the ability to meet the emotional, social, health, nutrition, and mental needs. The Parents also are offered resources in higher education, paying utilities, and other needs that are essential to succeed. According to The Basic Head Start Facts Sheet 2011, Head Start is the nation’s first national early education and early childcare program. Since then over thirty-two million children have had assistance with the program; therefore, has caused an increase of twenty-eight percent in High School Graduations (Smith 8). Head Starts main goal is to lower the achievement gap between lower-class and middle-class children.

I am currently a student at New Castle Junior, Senior High School. Throughout, the past 15 years of my life, I have been connected to Lawrence County Head Start Program. I attended Head Start for two years, at the age of 3 and 4. My teachers were Mrs. Lemmon and Mrs. Gardner. They taught me to to read, write, socialize, and use proper etiquette. I still remember the family style lunch setting in the classroom. During my enrollment, my mother volunteered her time with Head Start to be a part of the Head Start Policy Council. This led to a long standing relationship with Head Start. Today, my mother is on the Head Start Governing Board, as a former parent.

She declares which the chance of failure for these children is at high risk. Currie argues “those actually enrolled in Head Start are likely to face the most severe problems and are least likely to do well in the future” (683). In defending the needs of these children, it is crucial to provide a preschool program such as Head Start. This is not only an academic resource, but it focuses on the whole child; which means it provides these underprivileged children with opportunities such as: nutrition, health, education, and builds social skills that they otherwise do not have access to.

On September 15, 2016 Students started clinical rotation at Head Start in Gaffney South Carolina, Located at 501 W. Rutledge Ave. Gaffneys Head Start program is administered by Piedmont Community Actions, Inc. (4) According to the Administration For Children and Families, The Economic Opportunity Act was passed  in August, 1964  which created various programs.  In 1964  President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the first Head Start Act into legislation. (4)  “ Head Start was designed to help break the cycle of poverty, providing preschool children of low income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs.”  The purpose of attending Head Start would allow students to perform the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning- Fourth Edition also known as Dial 4. The clinical experience at Head Start allowed nursing students to observe, evaluate, and incorporate communication skills, Professionalism and legal/ ethical practices, infection control practices, patient safety practices, patient teaching practices, and Invasive and non-invasive procedures.

The lack of attention given to an individual child’s needs can be observed in the structuring of the classroom at Head Start. The program places

According to the Administration for Children and Families (2010), “Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families” (para. 3). Based on this mission subject, it is possible to subject Head Start to a program evaluation based on the following questions: (a) Is Head Start provisioning educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families? (b) Is the provisioning of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services leading to an enhancement of the social and cognitive development of children? (c) Is the social and cognitive development of children a social good for which taxpayers should pay $7 billion a year? These questions will be addressed, both directly and indirectly, later in this overview.

The mission of Petite Genie, is to provide an atmosphere where developmentally appropriate assessment, and active learning is key. Through hard work and play students have the ability to learn at their own pace, and in their own way. We provide a culture that believes that education is fun. Plant your little seedlings on steady educational ground. We will provide an atmosphere that is rich with learning opportunities at every corner, and caters to the different learning styles education is fun, the children of Petit Genie will play with a purpose.

On 10/16/2015 while interviewing face to face with Nicole (Christina) Martin, Administration for Early Head Start located at Texarkana Special Education Center at the operation she stated that the caregivers had applied first aid to Nolan and immediately called on walkie talkie to front desk of Early Head Start and spoke to Daniela Salazar that they needed assistance for Nolan as he had fallen while running on the Wellness Trail. Mary Ann Zimmer, LPN from Arkansas Children was contacted and then went to meet the class at the Wellness Trail to get Nolan.