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Head Start Stories
My Head Start Story: RochelleStory submitted by: Rochelle, Head Start parent & Staff
My connection to Head Start began in 1999, when I enrolled my daughter in the Berkeley-Albany YMCA program while I pursued my Bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley. As a young mother determined to complete my education, I relied on the care, stability, and support provided by Head Start. Without this foundation, I would not have been able to successfully finish my studies and achieve my degree. -
Head Start Stories
My Head Start Story: CandaceStory submitted by: Candace, Head Start parent & Staff
My journey with Head Start began as a parent looking for support for my child. In 2021, I enrolled my son in the homebased program because I was concerned about his speech. I had already shared my worries with this doctor, but they were brushed aside. It was discouraging to feel like my voice as a parent did not matter. After I met our home visitor, -
Head Start California Updates
Media Release: Head Start California Responds to Federal House Committee Markup
For Immediate Release: Head Start California Responds to Federal House Committee Markup that Would Lead to Reduced Services for Head Start Children and Families
Sacramento, CA – Head Start California today called on members of Congress to address the lack of a cost-of-living increase (COLA) for Head Start in a bill recently approved by the U.S. House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Committee.
Without a COLA for Head Start included in the federal Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, -
Head Start California Updates
Media Release: Head Start California Responds to Federal Appropriations Bill MarkupLacking Critical Funds Needed to Give Kids a Head Start
Sacramento, CA – Head Start California today issued the following statement to express concern that the federal Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which was recently marked up in the Senate Appropriations Committee, does not include funding needed to address current needs of California’s Head Start programs.
The federal bill includes a 0.7% increase in funding for Head Start, -
Head Start Stories
My Head Start Story: IrisStory submitted by: Iris, Head Start parent and Parent Voices Leader from Marin
Before I found Head Start, I was struggling. I had severe postpartum depression and anxiety. I was constantly scrambling for child care for my two-year old daughter Lulu—calling sisters, cousins, neighbors—just to be able to go to work. Some days, people would bring Lulu to my job crying, and I felt like I was failing as a mother. I was exhausted, -
Head Start Stories
My Head Start Story: KariStory submitted by: Kari, Head Start parent
At Head Start my older daughter picked up her letters quickly, but seemed to have trouble putting them all together in order to start reading. When she came home one day saying, “Mama, I’m not very good at reading,” I went to her teacher immediately for support. Within weeks, I saw my daughter’s confidence soar, with progress and results that have launched her to become an award-winning reader now that she is in Kindergarten. -
Head Start Stories
My Head Start Story: ArishankeryStory submitted by: Arishankery, Head Start parent
Before Head Start, my son’s world was tiny — a world of incubators, oxygen tanks, and emergency alarms. Born at 25 weeks, weighing just one pound, he fought harder in his first minutes than most of us fight in a lifetime. But after surviving the NICU, he faced new battles: delayed speech, sensory overwhelm, and deep anxiety around new people and environments. As a Navy spouse with no family nearby and no U.S. -
Head Start Stories
My Head Start Story: DoloresStory submitted by: Dolores, Head Start parent and staff
My name is Dolores, and I started out as a Teacher Aide and sometimes worked as the Bus Assistant in 1998 when I began working for Community Action Partnership of SLO at Valle Verde Migrant Head Start. After about five years, I got the position of Family Service Advocate and began working at Soledad Migrant Head Start.
At that time, we had a three-year-old child in our program. -
Advocacy and Policy News
Head Start Regional Office Closures: A Call for Action to Safeguard Head StartOn Tuesday, April 1, 2025, we were saddened to learn that several of the Regional Offices that support Head Start programs were abruptly closed and their staff placed on paid leave until their termination in 60 days. The closed offices included the Region 9 Office in San Francisco, which served programs in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawai’i, and several U.S. territories. Other closures included offices in Boston, New York, Chicago, and Seattle.
First and foremost, our hearts go out to the dedicated civil servants we had the pleasure of working with in the Region 9 Office, -
Advocacy and Policy News
FY23 and FY24 Nationwide HS & EHS Program-Level Enrollment and Funding DataBy Paul Behrman, Walnut Leadership
Local Head Start programs must modernize quickly, and chart a solid course for quality and sustainability. Prior to the pandemic which emerged in 2020, the broader field of early care and education was struggling with a workforce crisis. The pandemic worsened this crisis, with many staff leaving the ECE field for less stress, and better pay and working conditions. Behavioral concerns around children of the “COVID generation” increased,
