Head Start Programs Make Big Difference to Children In-Need While studies have shown that Head Start programs are beneficial to low-income children and their families across the board, there is a particular group that benefit from it more than others. Children who come from families where there is very little academic stimulation, with parents who do not read to children or provide very little encouragement with letter and number recognition or word pronunciation, really need programs like Head Start so they can get a good start when it comes time to go to school. Head Start programs have been proven time and again through actual participant studies to help under-privileged...

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget: Will It Affect Head Start Programs? As reports started coming in regarding the reaction from lawmakers to the President’s fiscal year 2015 budget, administrators of Head Start Programs began to wonder how the new budget and the cuts that will ultimately be proposed and made by lawmakers would affect early education programs. From the moment the budget blueprint was released, critics and opponents began talking about how it would have a hard time making its way through Capitol Hill, especially with this being an election year. That being said, experts believe that the President’s $3.9 trillion budget plan doesn’t even stand a chance of being enacted,...

More Funding Needed in Massachusetts for Head Start Programs Just a few weeks ago, it seemed as though the Head Start and Early Head Start budget crisis was over. Education program funding was supposed to be back on the rise, helping low income families right here in Massachusetts and across the country to get access to the early education programs that they so desperately need. However, a state budget meeting was held recently in which a group known as “Stand for Children,” came seeking an increase in funding for preschool programs in the state. Growing Wait List in Massachusetts The most recent count shows that over 40,000 low income families...

Why Head Start Program Healthy Snacks for Kids Are Important One of the best ways to get extra nutrients in your daily diet and learn healthy skills that will prevent overeating at mealtimes and obesity is snacking. Studies show that as many as 97 percent of all Americans snack, with snacking accounting for an average of 24 percent of their daily intake of calories. It seems that snacking is here to stay, so the best way to prevent children from building unhealthy habits is to build positive attitudes about the foods that they choose to snack on each day. How Head Start Can Help The Head Start program is a...

The House Budget Committee’s View on Early Learning Programs With so many American families depending on early learning programs like the Head Start programs, it is important to stay on top of reports, such as the one from the House Budget Committee, has to say about these important social services. The report focused on a wide group of social service and educational programs and specifically addressed the Head Start and Child Care and Development Fund programs, two services that low-income families rely on heavily, especially in the current economic climate. Here is a brief overview on what the House Budget Committee Report had to say about Head Start Programs and...

Smart Food Purchasing for Head Start Program Administrators Administrators who run local Head Start Programs understand what it means to have the numbers work against you. In the 2013 Sequestration that came as a result of the Congressional budget showdown, administrators were forced to reduce Head Start budgets by more than five percent. While that may not sound like a lot to those on the outside, between food purchasing for Head Start, administrative costs, office supplies, janitorial supplies and all of the programs offered within the program, that five percent amounted to a lot. Administrators Worked Smarter, Not Harder In the face of the budget cuts, some of the local...

7 Ways to Reduce Administrative Supply Costs in Head Start The costs of running a Head Start Program aren’t always visible for those on the outside looking in, but having the ability to lower supply costs can be a big help for administrators who need to find new ways to work within the Head Start Program budget. Being able to reduce administrative costs can really help when it comes to reducing the overall annual budget. Most administrative and janitorial supply costs are relatively fixed, rarely varying from month-to-month as much as food or manufacturing supplies and costs might be. That makes it even easier to lower supply costs without having...

Why the Right Supply Chain Matters for Head Start Programs As budget cuts, inflation and increases in the number of families who depend on local Head Start Programs continue to rise, administrators continue to look for new ways to cut costs and reduce supply waste in order to keep doors open and services available to the children who need them. Millions of dollars are wasted on inefficient supply purchasing of office and janitorial supplies at early education programs each year. When administrators are able to better manage Head Start purchases they will effectively reduce annual costs and be able to invest those savings into other vital parts of the program...

Resolve to Spend Less on Office Supplies in the New Year! Just about every business or organization across the United States is looking for new ways to reduce spending in response to budget cuts and the fiscal uncertainty seen in today’s economy. This is especially true for Head Start preschool and Early Head Start programs nationwide who are still struggling to recover from the Head Start budget cuts that came as a result of the 2013 sequestration. Sequestration cut more than $86 billion nationwide from just about every federally-funded program, from the military to housing and even including Project Head Start, which provides education, nutrition and healthcare to young children...

How to Overcome Sequester Budget Cuts at Head Start Schools In March 2013, early education programs such as Head Start schools were hit with a mighty blow from the sequester budget cuts. While most Americans would probably ask, “What is sequester cuts?”, the were likely affected by them without even knowing. The Head Start budget, like budgets for other federally funded programs, such as defense, housing and other special education programs, was reduced by over 5-percent. Unfortunately, many Head Start schools were forced to reduce program availability to low-income families, cut staff or, in some cases, shut their doors completely. Fortunately there are some ways for Head Start schools to...