The National Head Start Association applauded President Biden’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget proposal which increases funding for Head Start and Early Head Start by $1.2 billion for a total $11.9 billion. More broadly, the President’s proposal amounts to a 16% increase in discretionary funding, which also includes notable increases in a number of areas affecting Head Start programs and families: the Child Care and Development Block Grant (+$1.5 billion), Preschool Development Grants ($450 million total funding), WIC, housing supports, and Pell Grants.
“As the President stated, more than ever we need bold ‘investments in working families who drive growth and prosperity,’ and there is no better program to deliver on that investment than Head Start,” NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci said. “The Head Start community is encouraged that this high level of funding acknowledges the critical role Head Start plays in supporting families’ trajectories out of poverty and makes a marked commitment to expanding access to Head Start.”
Vinci continued, “We look forward to working with the Biden Administration in furtherance of his goal to expand access through the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships and to elevate other urgent needs that exist across the Head Start community. In working with our Republican and Democratic champions in Congress, we will continue our efforts to address Head Start’s growing workforce crisis, fully support children who have experienced trauma, and increase access to Head Start and Early Head Start.”