How to Reduce Head Start Budgets and Survive the Federal Cuts The past couple of years have been difficult for Head Start program administrators and the families across America who depend upon Head Start for nutritional, health and early learning programs. In light of cuts to the Head Start budgets by the federal government, many administrators have been forced to reduce Head Start budgets by cutting staff, reducing the number of spots available to needy families or by closing their doors completely. Costs Associated With Running a Head Start Program In addition to all of the costs associated with the daily administrative operations of a Head Start program, there are...

Learn to Manage Head Start Purchases and Save Your School It has been over a year since the 2013 sequestration budget cuts hit Head Start administrators with a limited set of choices: lower costs for Head Start by reducing staff and available spots for students or shut down. However, as many schools discovered, there was another option. Many administrators took a look at their existing budgets and decided to take the road less traveled and learn how to better manage Head Start purchases to cut expenses instead of cutting staff or spots for students. Quite a few schools were able to effectively lower costs for Head Start and stay open...

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 Importance Child Nutrition Plays in Head Start Programs When most people think about Head Start Programs, they think about early childhood learning and education for low-income families. And while it’s true that Head Start is an educational community service that millions have counted on since the program was first launched, the nutritional services of Head Start are just as important. It is the cooperative effort between education and quality nutrition that makes the Head Start Program so successful in the communities where it is needed most. Head Start administrators work together with staff and participating families to identify the nutritional requirements of each child. This helps the program and...

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...

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...

Sequestration Still Hurting Head Start Programs Nationwide While sequestration started back in 2011 as a means to reduce federal government spending, its effects are still being felt by programs such as Head Start, and will likely continue to be felt for years to come. Fully in effect beginning March 1, 2013, many Head Start program administrators began scrambling to find new and innovative ways to reduce supply costs and spending across the board. Unfortunately, these budget cuts have led to a loss of spots for children and their families who rely on the Head Start program for educational and nutritional support and have cut jobs for teachers and administrators who...