Whereas, on May 18, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the launch of the Head Start program;

Whereas, on October 22, 1982, President Ronald Reagan declared October as Head Start Awareness Month to recognize the positive impact of Head Start on children and families;

Whereas Head Start has served more than 40,000,000 children and their families over the past 60 years, helping to prepare them for success in school and in life;

Whereas the engagement of parents, volunteers, and local communities has been central to Head Start’s mission, ensuring that each program reflects the needs and values of the families it serves;

Whereas Head Start now serves nearly 750,000 children in every State, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Palau, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands, and American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal nations, and the children of agricultural workers throughout the country;

Whereas Head Start promotes children’s health and well-being by providing essential screenings and access to medical and dental care, helping to identify and address health issues early in life;

Whereas Head Start combats childhood hunger and supports healthy development by serving balanced, nutritious meals and snacks that meet children’s dietary needs and establish lifelong healthy eating habits;

Whereas Head Start directly involves parents in program planning and decision making, strengthening both the effectiveness of services and family engagement;

Whereas all Head Start children receive developmental screenings, helping identify delays and disabilities early, when intervention is most impactful;

Whereas participation in Head Start is associated with long-term positive outcomes, with Head Start children more likely to finish high school, enroll in college, complete college, and obtain a postsecondary degree, license, or certification compared to similarly situated peers;

Whereas Head Start participation is also linked to improved outcomes for parents, including increases in education levels, employment, and household income, as parents work toward education and career goals while their children receive high-quality care;

Whereas Head Start empowers families through education, workforce support, and childcare access, enhancing parent choice and helping to meet pressing national needs for infant and toddler care;

Whereas there are 6 Members of the 119th Congress who attended a Head Start program, and many others who worked for or who had children attend Head Start;

Whereas Head Start has benefited from consistent, bipartisan Federal investment in America’s future, supported across all Presidential administrations and Congresses for 6 decades; and

Whereas Head Start reflects our Nation’s commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of ZIP Code, has the opportunity to reach their full potential: Now, therefore, be it