Early childhood, the first six years of life, is a critical time for children to develop the physical, emotional, social and cognitive skills they will need for the rest of their life. Good nutrition and health care are essential to maximize this developmental process. Head Start is a 55-year-old $11.6 billion federal program helping children attain this goal. Head Start is one of our most successful and longest-running programs fighting systemic poverty. About 35 million children from low-income families have attended Head Start programs and there are more than a million children enrolled today. Beginning at age three, Head Start kids learn fundamental cognitive skills while developing the social and emotional capabilities to begin school. Head Start feeds these children and provides medical, dental and mental health care. Their parents learn about nutrition, child development, and are guided into appropriate community programs if needed. However, due to budget constraints, only 3 of 5 eligible children are currently enrolled in one of our 1,700 Head Start programs nationwide.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of H.R.5815 - Head Start Expansion and Improvement Act of 2023
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Greg Landsman (OH)

• I oppose reforming current Head Start policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Mike Johnson (LA).
• I support simplifying, revising, and reauthorizing Head Start programs through FY2032 by:
  
  1.) Expanding eligibility for Head Start programs to include families with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level.
  
  2.) Broadening the definition of "public assistance" under the Head Start Act to automatically qualify families receiving benefits such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), SNAP benefits, WIC, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
  
  3.) Providing grants for Head Start infrastructure, authorizing $1 billion annually from fiscal year 2025 through 2030 to construct and improve facilities.
  
  4.) Establishing a grant program to increase employee compensation at Head Start agencies, authorizing $6.8 billion annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2030.
  
  5.) Providing student loan forgiveness for certain Head Start and Early Head Start child care workers who have been employed full-time by a Head Start or Early Head Start program for three years, and have provided care or instruction to children enrolled in such a program.
  
  And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Greg Landsman (OH) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.