New Congressional Budget Deal to Help the National Head Start Association After years of having to deal with budget cuts and other issues surrounding reductions in funds for early childhood learning, the National Head Start Association finally got some good news this week with regard to the budget deal that was reached by lawmakers. Advocates of the Head Start Program are hailing this deal as a very encouraging sign that Washington has made a strong commitment to early childhood learning programs. Basic Facts About the Budget Deal According to the information that has been released, the new budget deal with restore funds that were originally cut from Head Start...

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...

  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...

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...