Strategy

Head Start

What is it?

Head Start is a federal early childhood program for low-income preschool children. The goal of Head Start is to narrow the gap between disadvantaged children and their affluent peers and promote school readiness. Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to children and families. Some of these services include child health, mental health, nutrition, and family social services.  

What is the evidence base?

Children in Head Start show improvements in social-emotional skills, executive function skills, and physical health. Children also exhibit more positive approaches to learning. Long-term effects of Head Start include increases in educational attainment and positive parenting practices and decreases in teen pregnancy and criminal engagement.

• Kopack Klein, Aikens, Malone, and Tarullo_2018_A Year In Head Start: Findings from FACES 2014 on Children’s Progress Toward School Readiness During the 2014-2015 Program Year
• Barr and Gibbs_2017_Intergenerational Effects of an Anti-Poverty Program in Early Childhood