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Future of Head Start at stake

To the editor:
The U.S. Senate will soon decide the fate of Head Start, the early childhood education program that serves one million of Americaís poorest children, including many hundreds in this area. More than nine out of 10 Americans (92 percent) support the Head Start program as it operates today, with money going directly from the federal government to local Head Start programs, according to a national opinion survey released in September 2003 by Pax World Funds, a socially responsible mutual fund family, and the National Head Start Association (NHSA).
There is broad bipartisan support for the current version of Head Start, with overwhelming majorities of Democrats (96 percent), independents (91 percent) and Republicans (89 percent) backing the program. It is very clear that the American public understands that Head Start works and that the program should be allowed to keep getting our most at-risk children ready to learn in school. Americans donít want to see Head Start endangered by turning it over to states that are slashing budgets left and right to deal with crippling revenue shortfalls. The future of Head Start is now in the hands of the U.S. Senate and it should act promptly. We need our Senator to stand up and be counted. Listen to America: Keep Head Start working for our kids.
Robert C. Benes,
Director Early Childhood and Family Development
Lake & Pines CAC, Inc.

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