Restoration of Lost Head Start Program Seats Could Happen if Budget Deal Passes The bi-partisan federal budget deal that is currently being considered in Washington, D.C. could bring back some of the funding that was taken from early childhood education programs like the Head Start Program in March 2013. In addition to returning what has been estimated as 50 percent of the reduced budget, legislators could pave the way to restore the 57,000 slots that were reduced during sequestration. The deal was announced by Congress as a bi-partisan compromise, which would at the very least partially restore the budget cuts. Exact figures on the restoration won’t be available until the...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...