Head Start is a glorious way to start your education. We’ve worked alongside educators and children at Head Start for decades, and love this beneficent organization. There are more than 12000 Head Start Childcare Centers liberally sprinkled throughout the USA, and each of them is packed with bright young minds that are always eager to learn. Over the years we’ve worked at hundreds of Head Start schools, and they’ve always been run by caring, loving teachers who go the extra mile to help their kids succeed. For a list of Centers click HERE

 

Head Start is a federally funded program that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. It supports families facing difficult circumstances and seeks to mitigate obstacles to learning in the early years, and helps vulnerable young children from low-income families prepare to succeed in school. Head Start and Early Head Start programs promote children’s development through services that support early learning, health, and family well-being.

 

First created in 1965 by Jule Sugarman, Head Start was originally conceived as a catch-up summer school program that would teach low-income children in a few weeks what they needed to know to start elementary school. The Head Start Act of 1981 expanded the program. The program was revised when it was reauthorized in December 2007. Head Start is one of the longest-running programs attempting to address the effects of systemic poverty in the United States by intervening to aid children.The current director of Head Start is Dr Blanca Enriquez, who was appointed in 2015.

 

Head Start began as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society campaign. Its justification came from the staff of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Stan Salett, civil rights organizer, national education policy adviser and creator of the Upward Bound Program, is also credited with initiating the Head Start program.

 

 

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

 

Although we performed to older kids in Elementary Schools as well, our real passion was Early Childhood Development and the 

Head Start centers fit the bill exactly. They combined the right age group for us and offered us the opportunity to perform a show that we called “Kiddy Vaudeville,” to 4 and 5-year-old kids, that was both educational, musical and fun. We searched and found hundreds of Head Start Centers around the US that were delighted to have The Battersby Duo come and entertain their kids. So many of the kids we met at the centers had huge self-esteem problems. They’d arrive at the center in the morning deprived of sleep, and undernourished. Through no fault of their own many of the kids had parents who were not looking after them properly. Head Start was there for them and gave the kids hope, encouragement and love. The school gave them food, warmth and security. We, in turn, became part of their security by just being there for them.

 

                                                  “Head Start changed my life. It allowed me to begin to imagine.” Darren Walker. President, Ford Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ATTRIBUTION: PUBLIC DOMAIN

The First Lady Mrs Johnson reads a story to Head Start students in 1966

 

 

21,412 Head Start Centers Nationally

 

 On one occasion at a center in Alexandria VA, in the middle of a show a little girl sitting in the front row of about 50 kids, suddenly got up and walked over to Laura, while she was singing, held both hands up to her, and made it clear that she needed to “go potty.” La, without missing a beat, scooped her up and took her to the bathroom. I continued singing as if it was all part of the show until she came back, deposited a happy girl back on the carpet, and continued on with the show as if nothing had happened. The point is, what that little girl did was a massive show of trust to us. For the first time in their little lives, many of them could suddenly trust adults. Love and caring is what Head Start is all about, and we’re proud to be part of this fine program.

 

In 1968, Head Start began funding a television series that would eventually be called Sesame Street, operated by the Carnegie Corporation Children’s Television Workshop(CTW).

 

In 1969, Head Start was transferred to the Office of Child Development in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by the Nixon Administration. Today it is a program within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in DHHS.

 

In 1994, the Early Head Start program was established to serve children from birth to age three, to capitalize on research evidence that showed that the first three years are critical to children’s long-term development. Programs are administered by local organizations and education agencies such as school systems. In the early years, some 700,000 children enrolled at a per-capita cost of $2,000 to $3,000. Under the full-time program, enrollment dropped to under 400,000 by the early 1970s. Enrollment reached 1 million Kids by 2011.Since 1965 nearly 33 million Americans have attended Head Start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graphic The Unique Butler.

Thanks to the Head Start and EHS programs The Battersby Duo has performed at

 

“The Head Start initiative will forever be close to my heart because it is the very place where I began interacting with the world and it has made the difference in my life.” Crystal Swinton. HS Teacher, Parent and Graduate

 

As The Battersby Duo, we’ve heard many stories like Crystal Swinton, and they warm our hearts every time we hear a new one. Working in centers like Head Start with disadvantaged kids gave us a purpose. We only wanted to boost their self-esteem, by offering a little kiddy vaudeville to make their days better. The payback was huge…. Loving hugs from kids was all the pay we ever needed or wanted.

 

If you’d like to learn more about the Head Start program visit their website at https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/ and if you’d like a full list of the 21,411 Head Start Centers in the USA CLICK HERE

 

Coming soon. January 2018: “And the Grammy Goes To?” February 2018: “Sarah Lee Guthrie.” Thanks for reading our stories, and please feel free to comment.