Federally Administered Means-Tested Programs - Head Start

Head Start began operating in 1965 under the general authority of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 (PL 88-452). Head Start is designed to help low-income children from birth to age five improve their social competence, learning skills, health, and nutrition so that they

TABLE 8.14
Head Start enrollment and federal funding, fiscal years 1965–2002

Fiscal year	Enrollment	Appropriations (in millions of dollars)
1965 (summer only)	561,000	96.4
1966	733,000	198.9
1967	681,400	349.2
1968	693,900	316.2
1969	663,600	333.9
1970	477,400	325.7
1971	397,500	360.0
1972	379,000	376.3
1973	379,000	400.7
1974	352,800	403.9
1975	349,000	403.9
1976	349,000	441.0
1977	333,000	475.0
1978	391,400	625.0
1979	387,500	680.0
1980	376,300	735.0
1981	387,300	818.7
1982	395,800	911.7
1983	414,950	912.0
1984	442,140	995.8
1985	452,080	1,075.0
1986	451,732	1,040.0
1987	446,523	1,130.5
1988	448,464	1,206.3
1989	450,970	1,235.0
1990	548,470	1,552.0*
1991	583,471	1,951.8
1992	621,078	2,201.8
1993	713,903	2,776.3
1994	740,493	3,325.7
1995	750,696	3,534.1
1996	752,077	3,569.3
1997	793,809	3,980.5
1998	822,316	4,347.4
1999	835,365	4,658.2
2000	857,664	5,266.2
2001	905,235	6,199.1
2002	912,345	6,536.6
*After sequestration.
SOURCE: "Table 15–Headstart 1. Head Start Enrollment and Federal Funding, Fiscal Years 1965–2002," in The Green Book, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, 2003 [Online] http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/greenbook2003/HeadStart.pdf [accessed February 4, 2004]

can begin school on a footing level with more advantaged children.

Education is the service most directly provided by Head Start to enrolled children. Head Start services include language development; medical (including immunizations), dental, and mental health services; and nutritional and social services. Head Start often facilitates access to other social services, such as Medicaid, for siblings and families, as well as for enrolled children. The program tries to involve parents in their children's education, either through volunteer participation or through employment of parents as Head Start staff.

Head Start's guidelines require that at least 90 percent of the children enrolled come from families with incomes at or below the poverty income level. At least 10 percent of the enrollment slots must be available for disabled children.

FIGURE 8.5
Budgetary outlays and tax expenditures for active and inactive housing assistance programs, fiscal year 1999
(dollars in millions) 24%

In 2002, 912,345 children were served in Head Start programs at a total federal cost of about $6.5 billion. (See Table 8.14.) In 2002 African-American children made up 33 percent of the enrollment; white children, 28 percent; Hispanic children, 30 percent; Native Americans, 3 percent; and Asians, 3 percent. Most of the children participating in the program were four-year-olds (52 percent) and three-year-olds (36 percent). (See Table 8.15.) A significant proportion (13 percent) were disabled children.