5 Ways to Save Money on Your Head Start Program Office Supplies With so many Head Start programs scrambling to save money in their budgets in order to keep the programs open and available to children and families in-need, one of the first places you can start saving money right away is in the purchasing of office supplies. Believe it or not, billions of dollars are spent each year by businesses in the United States on office supplies. If you do not learn how to control these expenditures, they can begin to add up very quickly. This article will focus on the five top ways that Head Start programs can...

Obesity Prevention Programs Start Early at Head Start Programs Nationwide One of the major advantages of enrolling a child into a local Head Start Program, which provides educational and nutritional support to low-income families with children under the age of six, is early learning that is centered around healthy eating. Programs that feed the children who attend Head Start fresh fruit and promote healthy physical activity programs score higher than programs that serve canned fruits and have limited access to physical activity. A study was recently conducted with regard to obesity prevention at Head Start programs across our nation. The period of time that these programs were surveyed was between...

Nutritional Insight into Eating Patterns of American Children Age 2+ When it comes to evaluating the overall health and well-being of children in America, it all comes down to a good quality diet consisting of healthy food choices. Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of the Head Start program is the nutritional education and support received by children and their families. Shaping healthy attitudes toward food that nourishes their bodies – as opposed to unhealthy foods that simply look or taste good – is what is making the biggest impact in changing the health of young Americans. According to a report released by the CDC in 2013, in addition to...

Tips to Help You Stretch Your Head Start Budget As federal budget cuts overwhelm Head Start programs from coast to coast, it can become essential for administrators to look for new ways to reduce supply costs in order to stretch their annual budget. While the primary goal of these programs is to provide education, medical and nutritional services to children and families living below the poverty line, it can be a full time job for administrators to figure out how to keep their costs under control. It is possible to reduce the costs associated with an annual Head Start budget without cutting essential services, supplies and programs for the children...

How Has the Government Shutdown Affected Head Start Programs? The Head Start Program is a federally funded program that provides school preparation training for children ages six and under who live in low-income families. In addition to preparing children for grade school, Head Start also provides important services relating to cognitive development, nutrition and health to underprivileged children living in poverty. Head Start Closures Nationwide The 2013 Government Shutdown forced Head Start programs nationwide to shut down after funds required to run this important service became unavailable. Head Start Programs located in the states of Alabama, Connecticut, Florida and Mississippi have closed as a direct result of the shutdown, leaving...

  How to Reduce Waste to Help Lower Your Head Start Food Budget One of the ways that Head Start administrators can save money on their budget and lower food costs is to focus on figuring out new ways to reduce food waste. By implementing specific waste minimization practices, program administrators can lower their overhead expenses and reduce waste disposal costs, while still providing proper nutrition for their students. Studies show that by implementing the policies below to reduce food waste, it is possible to lower food costs by as much as 40-60 percent. In addition to making smarter purchases by using an outsourced program, such as Food Source Plus,...

Good News for Head Start Programs Despite Cuts in Federal Funding Head Start programs in America have been on the wrong end of budget cuts in recent months. It started with sequestration, which resulted in cuts to Head Start program that went into effect in March of this year, following across-the-board reductions to government funded programs. The government shutdown did little to help the already struggling program by stalling grants that were due to have been issued to Head Start to keep it afloat on October 1st. Angel Investors Fortunately for 7,200 children who depend on the Head Start program for meals, medical screenings and preschool training, a couple from...

The Advantages of Outsourcing Food Supply Purchasing for Shelters   If you run a program or organization that supports individuals or families that are in need of a safe place to stay, such as battered women, homeless, pregnant women, single mothers or addicts in recovery, keeping up with food supply purchasing and non-food supply purchasing can be difficult, to say the least. The need for a purchasing system that is effective and intuitive is very great, particularly in non-profit organizations, such as these, that are highly focused on cutting costs, yet wish to maintain a strict level of quality service and care. A Better Way to Budget Regardless of the...

5 Ways Head Starts Are Overspending When it comes to running a program like Head Start, it really pays to learn all you can about the purchasing industry so you can get the best prices on all the food, office supplies and other resources that you need for daily operations. However, most administrators for Head Start programs have a background in children and education – not in sales and purchasing. As a result, there are several areas where overspending occurs, simply because administrators don’t have the time or the tools to spend researching, negotiating and shopping around to get the best prices available that will help them make the most...

Budget Cuts Are Coming to Head Start: How Preparation and Planning Can Help As our nation continues to struggle with the current financial crisis, many programs supported by government funding have and will continue to feel the pinch. The National Head Start Association is trying to help local programs keep their heads above water during this time of economic trouble, helping doors to remain open and secure that these opportunities stay available to the children and families who need it the most. How Will Budget Cuts Affect My Head Start? Beginning in 2013, the Obama Administration has annnounced that it would be cutting all “non-defense discretionary” function by as much...