Members of the Senate Budget committee heard testimony today from a Head Start parent on how budget cuts to the federal program would affect her daughter as well as 70,000 other children nationwide.
The National Head Start Association says that many preschoolers from low-income families would lose the ability to receive an early education if budget cuts tied to the federal sequester are enacted. Shavon Collier testified that the Edward C. Mazique Parent Child Center in Washington, D.C., which her daugher Sakhia Whitehead attends — and where more than 200 children are currently on the waiting list — prepares young children for attending school in more ways than an early education.
“The Mazique Center is in high demand because it is more than just a safe place for children while parents are at work,” Collier said. “(It) also helped my children build social skills. My son, for example, was a bit withdrawn at the time, but after only a few months, he was playing and interacting with his classmates.”
She owed this to Head Start’s comprehensive services, which can also include transportation to and from classes, though that option is not available at Mazique Center. Still, tens of thousands of Head Start students nationwide rely on rides via school buses or similar allowable alternative vehicles. Generally, Head Start school buses are not required to have the stop arm, lettering and flashing lights that a regular school bus would have. Overall, about 1 million students take advantage of Head Start and Early Head Start nationwide.
With her daughter sitting nearby, Collier closed her testimont by issuing a strong statement of support for greater investment in early education.
“Head Start has given me and my children an opportunity to build a better life, and I am so grateful for it. I hope this Committee will continue to support this investment in our children,” she added.
Meanwhile, NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci applauded Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) for calling attention to the long-term effects of any budget cuts.
“For decades, bipartisan supporters on Capitol Hill have recognized the high return on investment of quality early learning,” Vinci said. “Children are 25 percent of our population but 100 percent of our future.”
