59

A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF HEAD START'S IMPACT
Prepared by Marge Powell
ABCD
Bridgeport, Connecticut
February 1998

Thave prepared this personal account for a public hearing held by the
Subcommittee on Human Resources in Norwalk, Connecticut on February 19, 1998 to
review Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges.

My experience in Head Start began over 23 years ago. A Head Start program
‘began in the South Bronx in New York City when my oldest child was four years old. I
knew the person in charge and she enrolled my son in the program. She told me “this is
an ‘experimental program’ for under-privileged children...and it might not last." She
explained that there were two major components to this program: one being the child's
socialization skills and education to prepare them for kindergarten, and the other to
involve parents in the process.

I remember being very excited because as a single parent with litde or no
knowledge about how to prepare my child for school, I felt this was the best way for me
to learn what I needed to do. I attended Head Start parent mectings and was asked to
contribute to the discussion. This both pleased and surprised me since I was a very quiet
person and had no self-esteem.

I was given the opportunity to help in the classroom This was a positive
‘experience because I finally realized what I wanted to do with myself. I wanted to be a
teacher and work with young children. Yet, I felt that this was a dream that I had...and
that was that.

I went for my six-month redetermination for welfare and was told that I had to go
to work in order to keep my benefits. This marked « turning point in my life because, at
last, someone asked me what I wanted to do and I was able to tell her. She told me that if
that was what I wanted to do then she would help me to make my dream come true. I
‘still doubted that I had it in me to go to college and get the education I needed to realize
my dream. But, she felt differently.

‘Whenever I felt defeated, I would return to the Head Start program where I
received encouragement to keep my head up and keep on doing my best. I made the
Dean's List that semester. I received a four-year degree in Education and I owe that to
the people in Head Start who gave me constant encouragement and to a Social Work
‘Supervisor who felt I could do much better than welfare. I worked in daycare for two


123

I am pleased to testify today on the Barly Head Start program,
one of the most vital and promising early childhood initiatives
of the Clinton Administration. This program was created in the
May, 1994 bipartisan reauthorization of the Head Start Act to
extend the benefits of Head Start’s comprehensive quality
services to pregnant women, infants and toddlera. In less than

four years, this program has grown from an idea to a thriving

network of 173 local programs serving 22,000 children and
families in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico. This year we plan to award §120 million to fund new

programs to serve an additional 17,000 children.

Designed with the help of a distinguished Advisory Committee of
scholars and practitioners, Barly Head Start acts on the
expanding base of knowledge on how infants and toddlers grow and
learn, on the rewards and key elements of successful prevention
Programs in the first years of life, and on the substantial and
long-term costs of failing to support very young children and
their families.

Certainly, the most astonishing component of this research is new
revelations about the pathways and processes of brain development
in infancy. We know more than ever about how very young children
learn to understand and use language and how their early
relationships with parents, family members and caregivers shape

their long-term social and emotional development. We are


EDUCATION CONNECTION

nna

choot. Comat, Growth

Subcommittee on Human Resources
Christopher Shays, Chairman

February 19, 1998

Testimony of Patricia F. Doolan, Director
Litchfield County Head Start
EDUCATION CONNECTION, Grantee

The recent literature on brain research talks about the importance of early intervention in
the life of a child. Those of us who are Head Start providers have learned that sometimes,
when we enter a child’s life at three or four, we are entering three or four years too late.
‘We know that had we been part of the life of that child and his/ber family at an earlier
point, we would have provided services to support the family in providing their child with
a healthy beginning. Ea Head Str i the opporunity to provide community based
services to disenfranchised families.

Early Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that provides continuous,
intensive services and family support for the children, three and under, of families who are
income eligible. The program is able to provide both the home-based as well as center-
based options for the family. One of the strengths of the program is the link with
community providers especially in the areas of health, mental health and birth to three
early intervention services.

‘The four comerstones of Early Head Start, child development, family development,
community building and staff development address the essentials of a successful program.

In addition, the present Performance Standards outline what services must be provided for
children and families during their participation in the program. The Performance
Standards are the foundation upon which Head Start programs are built and evaluated.

‘The Performance Standards have stood the test of time and I believe will continue to do
20. Programs who over time fail to meet these standards can, and in the past have been,
defunded. There are other accreditation processes, such as National Association for the
Education of Young Children, that are used to measure the quality of child development

‘but none will defund a program if it fails to meet their standards. Performance
Standards do not guarantee quality. What I believe they do is to give all programs a
measure by which we can continually work to enhance the quality of our programs. In
addition, there is support for programs who are struggling from the regional TASC and
the program specialist assigned to a program by the Administration for Children.

P.O. Box 909 - 355 Goshen Road « Litchfield, CT 06759-0909 » Phone: (203) 567-0863 FAX: (203) 567-3381
A Regional Education Service Center


14

House Committee on Goverment Reform and Oversight
‘Subcommittee on Human Resources
February 19, 1998

Testimony of Edward Zigler, Yale University

‘Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me the opportunity to speak before this
committee on the goals and challenges of Early Head Start. 1 om Stesling Professor of
Psychology at Yale University and director of the Bush Center in Child Development and
Social Policy. I have studied the growth and development of children for over 40 years.
| was a member of the planning committees for both the Head Start and Early Head Start
programs. In the 1970's, I was named the first director of what is now the Administration
for Children, Youth and Families and, in that capacity, I was the federal official
responsible for administering Head Start nationwide.

Today I have been asked to comment on Early Head Start from the scientific point
of view. The wisdom of extending Head Start's philosophy and services to infants,
toddlers and their parents is well grounded in empirical research, Recent advances in
brain research have provided dramatic evidence that an infant's brain grows rapidly in the
first years of life - more rapidly than previously suspected ~ and that the early sensory
experiences of the growing child play a determining role in the basic "wiring” of the brain
for life. At stake are the child's capacity to develop complex language skills, motor and
visual coordination, and positive rather than negative emotional patterns. By the time the


149

,
4

=
wt
°
—_
=
S
a
Q.
oxy
co
=
—
=
vA



COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT
DAN BURTON, Indiana, Chairman

BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York HENRY A. WAXMAN, California

J. DENNIS HASTERT, Lilinois TOM LANTOS, California

CONSTANCE A MORELLA, Maryland ROBERT E. WISE, Jn, West Virginia

CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut MAJOR R. OWENS, New York

STEVEN SCHIFF, New Mexico EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York

CHRISTOPHER COX, California PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida GARY A. CONDIT, California

JOHN M. McHUGH, New York CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York

STEPHEN HORN, California THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin

JOHN L. MICA, Florida ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, Washington,

THOMAS M. DAVIS, Virgini Dc

DAVID M. McINTOSH, Indiana CHAKA FATTAH, Pennsylvania

MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland

JOE SCARBOROUGH, Florida DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Ohio

JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, Illinois

STEVEN C; LATOURETTE, Ohio DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois

‘MARSHALL “MARK” SANFORD, South JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts
Carolina JIM TURNER, Texas

JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire THOMAS H. ALLEN, Maine

PETE SESSIONS, Texas HAROLD E. FORD, Jr., Tennessee

MICHAEL PAPPAS, New Jersey —

VINCE SNOWBARGER, Kansas BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont

BOB BARR, Georgia (Independent)

DAN MILLER, Florida

Kevin BINGER, Staff Director
Dante. R. MOLL, Deputy Staff Director
WiLuiam MOscHELLA, Deputy Counsel and Parliamentarian
duprtH McCoy, Chief Clerk
PHIL SCHILIRO, Minority Staff Director

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES
CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut, Chairman

VINCE SNOWBARGER, Kansas EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York THOMAS H. ALLEN, Maine
DAVID M. McINTOSH, Indiana TOM LANTOS, California
MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont (Ind.)
MICHAEL PAPPAS, New Jersey THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin -
STEVEN SCHIFF, New Mexico DENNIS J. KUCINICI

EX Orricio
DAN BURTON, Indiana HENRY A. WAXMAN, California

LAWRENCE J. HALLORAN, Staff Director and Counsel
J. VINCENT CHASE, Chief Investigator
R. JARED CARPENTER, Clerk
CHERRI BRANSON, Minority Professional Staff Member

aD


119

ing them in, as we swear in all our witnesses who speak on our
panels.

Our first witness is Olivia Golden, who is Assistant Secretary of
Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services. We are just delighted to have her
here, and appreciate the fact that she is here from Washington in
our field hearing.

Joyce Thomas, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of
Social Services. Dr. Edward Zigler, a Sterling professor of psychol-
ogy, Yale University. And Sarah M. Greene, chief executive officer,
National Head Start Association, Alexandria, VA.

And let me say as well that the Chair and the committee are
going to invite, at the end, anybody who is here who wants to make
a comment. We will not swear them in, but we will invite anybody
here at the end. We will reserve about 20 or 30 minutes to hear
comments from the floor.

And our purpose in doing that is that many of you are experts
in the field. And if you have heard comments, you might want to
respond to them. And we would find your input helpful as well. So
if you decide to stay and want to make a comment at the end, we
will do that.

Would you please all stand. We are going to swear you in.

[Witnesses sworn.]

Mr. SHAYS. We are going to go in the order that we called.

Ms. Golden, I also want to thank you and your staff. Because the
usual procedure when you have a hearing is to have the adminis-
tration kind of speak first and other people follow. We find it more
helpful to have other comments, and then be able to have you in
your capacity and your expertise make comments.

I also appreciate that you were here earlier and heard the com-
ments of others, and that is very appreciated. And I noticed that
others were here as well. So we thank you for coming, and we real-
ly appreciate that you are here.

STATEMENTS OF OLIVIA A. GOLDEN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY,
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, U.S. DE-
PARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; JOYCE
THOMAS, COMMISSIONER, CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES; DR. EDWARD ZIGLER, STERLING PROFES-
SOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, YALE UNIVERSITY; AND SARAH M.
GREENE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NATIONAL HEAD
START ASSOCIATION, ALEXANDRIA, VA

Ms. GOLDEN. Thank you. I am delighted to be here to have the
chance to testify on Early Head Start. I have full testimony for the
record, but my statement today will be brief.

I am delighted to testify today on the Early Head Start Program,
one of the most vital and promising early childhood initiatives of
the Clinton administration. This program was created in the 1994
bipartisan reauthorization of the Head Start Act to extend the ben-
efits of Head Start’s comprehensive quality services to pregnant
women, infants, and toddlers.

In less than 4 years, this program has grown from an idea to a
thriving network of 173 local programs serving 22,000 children and
families in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.


68

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dona Ditrio. I
am the Director of a Head Start Program sponsored by Norwalk
Economic Opportunity Now, Inc. (NEON) a community action
agency. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you regarding
Early Head Start Challenges.

NEON Head Start is a 280 child program providing comprehensive
services to Norwalk, Connecticut families. Based upon our
community assessment, 220 children are enrolled in a 6 hour per
day, 12 month program. The remaining 60 children are enrolled in
a 10 hour per day, 12 month program for working parents. NEON
Head Start is able to provide this service because of the support
from the City of Norwalk, Connecticut Department of Education
and the Administration for Children and Families.

As you are aware, Head Start was launched in 1965 as a 6-week
summer program. Subsequently, it was expanded to a full year,
part day program for low-income children and families.

The poverty experienced in the 60s is unlike the poverty of the 90s.
Families are different. Communities are different. Technology
brings us across the world in seconds. Environments, both
neighborhood and in the home, are fluid and often chaotic.

Family characteristics now reflect more single parents, exposure to
community and/or family violence, a lack sufficient education, a
lack job skills and substance abuse exposure or use.

These characteristics coupled with the welfare to work effort result
in families being pulled in many directions. Balancing family
demands with working full time is a skill in itself even for those
adults with years of experience and support systems.

Head Start and Early Start meet the challenges of the 1990s by
maintaining the comprehensive holistic family development model


152

Mr. Suays. Thank you, Joyce.

Dr. Zigler.

Dr. ZIGLER. Thank you, Co ssman Shays. Thank you for giv-
ing me the opportunity to speak before this committee on the goals
and challenges of Early Head Start.

I am Sterling Professor of psychology at Yale University, and di-
rector of Yale’s Bush Center in Chil velopment and Social Pol-
icy. I have studied the growth and development of children for well
over 40 years now.

I was a member of the planning committees for both the Head
Start and Early Head Start programs. In the 1970’s, I was named
the first director of what is now the Administration for Children,
Youth, and Families. And in that capacity, I was the Federal offi-
cial responsible for administering Head Start nationwide.

Today I have been asked to comment on Early Head Start from
the scientific point of view. The wisdom of extending Head Start’s
philosophy and services to infants, toddlers, and their parents is
well grounded in empirical research. Recent advances in brain re-
search have provided dramatic evidence that an infant’s brain
grows rapidly in the first years of life, more rapidly than previously
suspected, and that the early sensory experiences of the growing
child play a determining role in the basic wiring of the brain for
fe.

At stake are the child’s capacity to develop complex language
skills, motor and visual coordination, and positive rather than neg-
ative emotional patterns. By the time that the regular Head Start
Program begins at 3 or 4, many unused neural pathways have al-
ready been pruned away, and priceless opportunities to stimulate
development have been lost forever.

Home visits, parent education, health services, and quality early
child care experiences, the essential ingredients of Early Head
Start, are most urgently needed in the critical first years.

Long before magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was even
possible, we knew that Head Start alone was not enough to over-
come the ill effects of poverty. It is very difficult to change the
growth trajectory of a child living in poverty. But a principle has
emerged from decades of research: the venefits of a program are di-
rectly related to its quality and its intensity.

For maximum impact, a program such as Head Start should be
both high in quality and long in duration. This is the thinking be-
hind Early Head Start and the Head Start Transition Project,
which follows Head Start graduates into the first few years of ele-
mentary school with the same attention to health, nutrition, parent
involvement, and other needs of the family.

The concept of linking different programs for children of different
ages as they grow is consistent with what is called the develop-
mental model. As children pass through different stages of develop-
ment, they need different environmental nutrients. Just as good
parents recognize the changing needs of their children and respond
with the appropriate kinds of experiences and supports, interven-
tions for poor children should do the same.

A study of resilience in economically disadvantaged urban youth
in Chicago, published just last month in the “American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry,” confirms the correctness of the developmental


79

Children who begin at 4-years old are more likely to fade out. We
have learned that we should start working with these babies at the
earliest possible age. Empirical evidence of brain development
shows that without such effort poor language and communication
skills may become entrenched, and the child’s mental health may
become endangered. A great many children will be in worse phys-
ical shape and their parents will be delayed entering the work
lorce.

We have learned from our experience that one trained staff mem-
ber cannot provide for the educational, emotional, nutritional, and
physical needs of too many infants at one time. We have learned
that we need to provide parents and children the opportunity of
Head Start on a fin day basis rather than half day, and full year
rather than school year.

We have learned that we need to identify special needs at the
earliest possible moment. For example, unless we discover the situ-
ation early on, deaf children will not learn to speak, and children
who are exposed to lead poisoning may become retarded.

In association with Head Start founder Dr. Ed Zigler of Yale Uni-
versity, we are creating a research and evaluation model that will:
First, develop standardized measuring techniques; Second, monitor
the perceptions of parents and teachers; and Third, keep an eye out
for issues involving mental health, child abuse and neglect.

This model will evaluate children’s progress, our services to fami-
lies, our corroboration with community efforts, and our use of
funds. Providing such efforts is not easy, and I am sorry to say that
it is not inexpensive, at least not in the short run.

Giving these young children appropriate and significant Early
Head Start care and education greatly diminishes their need for
government programs in the future, and allows their parents to be-
come tax paying wage earners. As such, the early Head Start pro-
gram works hand in hand with recent welfare reform to help give
the neediest of the needy the lasting opportunity to get off the wel-
fare track and to offer fulfilling lives to their children.

Again, I thank you for this opportunity to address you. I am sure
that we are all happy to answer questions.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Norgren follows:]


15

At any rate, congratulations, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for asking
me to come by and participate in this hearing. I think that all of
us agree when it comes to children and early childhood develop-
ment. And as Rosa said, we are talking about Early Head Start
here, but what we are really talking about is early child develop-
ment. And we have recognized that Early Head Start is a critical
piece of that.

Most of us feel, certainly in this room here today, that politics
ought to be left at the door when it comes to these issues. And
there are people all across the spectrum who care about Head Start
very, very much. And I find that tremendously encouraging, as we
look at these issues.

I cannot think of any more important topic for a hearing, frankly,
than early childhood development programs like Early Head Start.
These initiatives are at the heart of our mission as a Congress and
as a Nation. I have often said that children represent 27 percent
of our population, but 100 percent of our future. And when we start
talking about this Nation in the 21st century —

Mr. SHays. Can I use that line later on?

Senator Dopp. If you attribute it to me, I will let you do it. But
I know you will not. None of us ever does in this business.

Mr. Suays. Only the first time, Senator. After that, it becomes
mine.

Mrs. JOHNSON. It is in the public domain now. [Laughter.]

Senator Dopp. But it truly is. We are talking about our future.
And long after we are out of Congress and the people behind me
have retired and are doing other things in their lives, it will be a
generation that will look back to us and say: “What did you do in
the close of the 20th century? You knew what the issues were, and
you knew what the problems were, and you knew what the difficul-
ties were. How did you allocate your priorities, your time, and what
was your agenda for your Nation?”

And the fact that you are holding this hearing today, the fact
that there has been a good deal of attention now focused on Early
Head Start, speaks well for us being smart about the future, 100
percent of our future, these children who count on us and others
to try to improve their quality of life.

We have seen recently, of course, in 1997 those stories about the
brain study. I found it fascinating and wonderful that there was so
much attention being paid. But this was just saying or telling us
categorically what people have known intuitively for centuries and
centuries. That early bonding, holding, and nurturing processes are
absolutely critical.

And people who are uneducated and illiterate may not have un-
derstood it or heard of it, but they intuitively as mothers knew that
holding and nurturing a child is absolutely critical for them.

And now we are being told that there is a reason for all of that.
These 1,000 trillion synapses that occur in 36 months, think of
that, 1,000 trillion. Often school children ask me what is 1,000 tril-
lion. Well, the best example I can cite is the Milky Way.

If you look up on a starry night, and you look at the Milky Way,
there are 1,000 trillion stars in the Milky Way. And that is how
many electrical connections occur in 36 months from the day that
a child is born until that time.


128

health, parent involvement and program management. The team

conducts a thorough on-site assessment of program strengths,
weaknesses and compliance with the performance standards. we
then work with each agency to create a quality improvement plan
to rectify any deficiencies, including specific timelines and

reporting requirements.

Third, we have created a strong system to support training of
Barly Head Start staff members and managers and provide technical
assistance to local agencies. Program directors participate in
Head Start’s management training institute at the UCLA Anderson
School of Business, which is funded in partnership with the
Johnson and Johnson Corporation. Teachers, home visitors and
other staff attend intensive national training institutes on
infant and toddler development and receive ongoing support
through local college and university programs and professional
organizations. Technical assistance is provided by expert
consultants in infant and toddler development, health and family
services and other components of program services and management.
Programs receive on-site assistance and telephone consultation,
as well as access to the most up-to-date, research-based
materials and resources to guide their implementation efforts.
An Barly Head Start web page links each program with the
technical assistance network and allows agencies to exchange

materials and successful strategies.


134

Mr. Suays. Thank you very much.

Ms. Thomas.

Ms. THOMAS. Good afternoon, Congressman Shays. And good
afternoon to our congressional delegation. Representative DeLauro,
it is wonderful to see you. And afternoon and welcome to Con-
gressman Towns. I understand that Congresswoman Nancy John-
son was here earlier, and I had a chance to hear a couple of her
comments. And I just wanted to make sure that I thanked her as
well in her absence.

I am delighted to be here. And I am very happy to have this op-
portunity to talk a little bit about what Connecticut has been doing
in this whole area of early care and education, in addition to the
relationship of what we have been doing with the Head Start Pro-
gram and the Early Head Start Program here in the State.

The subject of today’s hearing is the Early Head Start’s goals and
challenges. And the purpose is to really examine the mission, plan,
and the performance standards for Early Head Start programs. As
you’re aware of already, we have two Head Start programs operat-
ing here in the State of Connecticut, one in Stamford and one in
Willimantic.

And I have explained more fully in my, written testimony that
you have before you, which I will be abridging for you today, you
will be happy to hear, there is a lot more detail that I go into in
terms of the testimony. But I need to give you a little bit of back-
ground on what the department of social services does.

We serve families and individuals who need assistance in mai
taining or achieving their full potential for self-direction, self-reli-
ance, and independent living. We pursue this mission with the hel
of about 2,300 employees with an annual budget of about $3.3 bil-
lion. Almost 50 percent of that comes from the Federal Govern-
ment, much of it through the administration for children and fami-
lies.

We serve adults, children, families, the elderly, the disabled. We
administer over 90 programs, including our jobs first, welfare to
work program that provides temporary family assistance, employ-
ment services, and safety net services to welfare families. We also
provide child support enforcement, child care, food stamps, rental
assistance, Medicaid, and a host of other services.

Our experience as the lead agency for child care here in this
State I think really lends to a lot of lessons that we have learned
in this whole area of really bridging Head Start and early care and
education.

A couple of the points that I am really interested in making this
afternoon, I have about five of them. The first one is that when it
comes to increasing access and quality for child care, the impact
and purpose of welfare reform cannot be ignored. I think that has
been raised already as a critical issue. I think that it behooves to
recognize that at the onset.

And certainly as it relates to time limits, I think that it is criti-
cally important that we understand that there is a relationship be-
tween the availability of child care and the capacity of parents to
get into the labor market and to stay there.

The second issue is that the child care system cannot ignore criti-
cally important years including infancy and toddler. We certainly



178

going to happen. So I think that it really is going to become a mat-
ter of making some priorities.

Mr. SHays. But I am going to react to another point in the dialog
between you and Dr. Zigler, and Rosa as well. We need to know
what should be, and then the burden is on us. If you know what
should be but deal with the reality of what we can practically do,
you have kind of made our decision for us without us fully realizing
what it should be.

And I have a sense of why you put the emphasis on Head Start
versus Early Head Start. It seems to me that Early Head Start
gobbles up tons of dollars per child, a lot more.

Dr. ZIGLER. An immense amount, that is right.

Mr. SHays. So in my own mind, I am thinking that maybe what
you are going through is that you are saying we can help three
children in Head Start and one in Early Head Start. And given
that we have such limited effort so far, I will take the three over
the one, even though I know that if you focused on one and fol-
lowed them all the way through, it would have immense success.

Am I putting words in your mouth?

Dr. ZIGLER. No. You are saying exactly what I would say. I have
been around long enough to be fairly pragmatic about these mat-
ters. One of the reasons that my counsel was sought by both par-
ties over the years has been kind of a sensitivity to the fiscal reali-
ties. If anybody frees me from those kinds of concerns, I could lay
out a wish list.

In fact, one of the wish lists, since I do not have to worry about
money anymore, I will tell you one thing in your earlier comments
that I would like to speak to: the world for children and families
is not just Head Start and Early Head Start.

I mean we are confronted with a terrible tragedy, I think, in this
country in the finding that 35 percent of children show up at school
unready to learn. If you go to the inner cities, that figure is closer
to 60 percent.

Why is this happening? I think that it is happening because
there is a very poor child care system in America. You know, we
are talking here about optimizing development. How about all of
those millions of children that, every day, we put in settings that
compromise their development?

What worries me about welfare reform, and I have been around
welfare reform since the family assistance plan back in the Nixon
days, what worries me if we are going to take one generation of
women off of welfare—and I think that is a good idea, I am opposed
to dependency, I think it is better for their kids—by the same
token we are going to take their children, and we are going to put
most of them into settings that are going to start them right back
down that same road toward dependency.

I am concerned about that. And the problem is our State child
care regulations. The fact of the matter is that 33 States in the
United States, or let me put it the other way, 17 States have stand-
ards that experts think are minimally acceptable. Connecticut is 1
of the 17. This means that 33 States by their State regulations
guarantee that the environments that kids are going to get in child
care are going to be either poor or very poor.


14

In order to defray some of the children’s expenses and to promote
the women’s responsibility for their own incarceration, some
mothers are eligible for public cash assistance awards while
residing in the program; other mothers are employed in the private
sector. Forty percent of their monthly income is designated for
paying Room and Board. Thirty percent is allocated to savings,
which is often used at graduation for a security deposit on housing
or other expenses.

The plan was to secure a special permit from the City of Norwalk
for a 20-bed halfway house. The request for the special permit was
denied. Litigation followed. Fortunately, NEON was afforded the
opportunity to identify another location. Within 6 months, the
halfway house opened in Waterbury. Two years later the original
site opened. Both sites are nationally accredited by the American
Correction Association. Since the first site opened, 250 women
and their children were in residence only. Twenty-five (10%) have
been re-incarcerated. Each milestone reached by a family is a
celebration. By focusing on the mother’s role as the primary
influence and teacher of the child or children, the cycle of crime
and poverty begins to break.

The halfway house model is successful because it implemented the
best practices demonstrated in Head Start and adapted the
comprehensive family development services to a specific
population. The outcomes that have a major impact on families
are:

© understanding and accessing a medical home

* accessing prenatal care

« making and keeping medical appointments


32

school - birth to five years. These Performance Standards set higher goals for families
and care-givers alike and offer the kind of guidance to staff which will ensure a higher
quality of child care than is usually found in non-Head Start settings. Early Head Start is
superior in many ways but particularly admirable is the emphasis cn consistency of care,
communication and language development, and the building of relationships between
child, child-care provider and parent. In addition, private day care programs are unable,
unwilling, o cannot afford the cost of dealing with the myriad of social service issues
which surround low-income urban families and which are central to the Head Start
approach.

While the new Performance Standards address critical child needs such as child
health and development, education, nutrition, and safety, they do not neglect the context
of the child within the family and the community. Furthermore, the new Performance
Standards give clear and concrete direction for the management and governance of the
program by requiring written policies that define the roles and responsibilities of all
parties.

In order for this nation's welfare reform initiative to succeed, we must make
quality child care services available and affordable to parents. Fees for Early Head Start
and Head Start can be lower for poorer families due to the sliding scales made possible
through federal support. Parents will be relieved to find they can take their infants,
toddlers and pre-schoolers to one location rather than shuttle around town to their various
child care sites while they work or seck employment and training. In a city and region
such as ours where public transportation does not meet the needs of families, many of our
parents - often single mothers - must take as many as three local buses to deliver their
children to child care - all before the work day begins at 8 or 8:30 AM. Again at the end
of the day, the same mother and children will ride three buses before they return home in
the evening. By co-locating Barly Head Start and Head Start programs, real barriers
facing low-income parents who are starting off in the world of work will be reduced.

In an Early Head Start setting, very young babies will find the same child care
‘worker who provides a warm and predictable routine each day, helping the infant cope
and adspt to the abrupt separation brought on by a mother’s need to work. The
development of early coping skills in infants and toddlers is a predictor of later social
adaptation and successful learning within the bome, school and community. At ABCD,
‘we value the Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers being developed by
Washingtoa-based “Teaching Strategies" (see sample curriculum in Attachment 2). This
set of curricalum is supported by Head Start to bring high quality teacher and staff
‘training and preparation to the Barly Head Start program. Even though ABCD has not

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 3


103

to diagnose that early. And as I mentioned, we did start an applica-
tion process, which identifies that in the early stages.

So if that child does need help, we try to hook up with the board
of education. And we are very fortunate in Bridgeport to have a
good working relationship with the board of education. But again,
due to restraints of resources, it is hard to get that quick turn-
around as quick as we want it.

The second thing, when you say substance abuse, there is more
and more information on that. I know that is a new field coming
up, because they do not even know. They say that where kids are
being termed as attention disorder, it is really a substance abuse
issue. And people are trying to figure out how do you treat that.

And the second thing is, you know, Head Start used to have a
policy that you could only have two people per classroom to handle
the classroom. So as you get more special needs children, it is hard
for two people in a classroom to handle all of the types of issues
that come in that classroom, because you have to take advantage
and treat everyone to their particular child directed activities and
goals. And it is more and more difficult to do that, unless you have
that issue. So those are some of the things that do affect it.

Ms. Ditrio. I wanted to comment that I believe that we are see-
ing more children in the program who are having difficulty main-
taining their behavior or any given length of time. And some of
those children do well really in a one to one setting, because that
is what they need in order to help them grow and develop.

I am also aware that the child guidance centers in Connecticut
are looking at the HMO’s and the restrictions that HMO’s are plac-
ing on the mental health services for specifically children. And it
appears as though that young children are then medicated, because
they need more therapy beyond the limit available for service with
the HMO.

I would also comment that in the area of the child abuse and ne-
glect reports that in the Norwalk program, that we did see a steady
increase when we came to about May 1997, and families began to
realize that welfare reform truly was going to happen, and a job
needed to be obtained. That is when we saw families having more
stress, and we average about five or six more a month in reporting
child abuse.

And I would say that is because of the parents and their inability
to try and balance all of these things that they have to do now in-
cluding that job. And most of the parents when we talk to them
and let them know that we are making the report will usually
admit that they are stressed out, and we make some referrals or
we do some services in-house to try to help them work on their
anger management.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Thank you. I will move on to my next question
later on after other Members have had a chance. Thank you.

Mr. SHAYS. Rosa.

Ms. DeLauro. I thank all of you very, very much for the work
that you do. And this is very, very helpful to all of us, because we
do have to go back and try to deal with limited resources. But you
are also trying to look at what our values and what our priorities
are within those limited resources, and that is what needs to be the
guiding principle when we are doing some of these things.


39

Does Head Start have immediate positive effects on children's cognitive ability?

Studies are virtually unanimous in reporting that children show significant
immediate gain as a result of Head Start (McKey et al, 1985). Research undertaken in
Philadelphia concluded that "the long-term impact of Head Start is in reducing school
failure” (Copple et al, 1987). Over the years, other studies have questioned the long-term
benefit of Head Start when former Head Start students scored no higher on certain
standardized tests than children who had no pre-school experience (Federal Register,
1991). To investigate this so-called “fade-out” effect, HHS sponsored the Head
‘StarvPublic Schoo! Early Childhood Transition Demonstration Project (Hellerich-Tuttle
et al, 1996). This study was one of a number which concludes that students who had
made gains as a result of Head Start struggled to maintain those gains as they transitioned
to public schools of lower quality (see also Lee and Loeb, 1995).

Bridgeport has no research on the "fade out" effect but itis clear that Bridgeport's
urban school children in grades 4, 6, and 8 fall below their peers from more affluent
suburbs in mastery test scores as seen in the table below:

Connecticut Mastery Test Overall Results

1994-1995

Percent students at or above state goal

District Reading Writing Mathematics
Bridgeport 20.4 163 15.0
Fairfield 703 49.5 70.0
Monroe 40 463 03
Stratford 615 344 49.2
Trumbull 29 56.1 724
State Average 540 402 50.3

‘Source: Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition: a parent's guide to the Bridgeport school budget.

‘The disparity in test achievement evident in the comparison above cannot
possibly be explained by "fade-out" when so few of Bridgeport's 17,000 elementary
students have ever had the advantage of Head Start and none has enjoyed an Early
Head Start experience.

‘The US Department of Health and Human Services carries out an important
fonction in supporting research into the effects of Head Start on children, families and

Barly Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 10



164

low-income families and their children will adapt more easily and successfully into society.
The first step in the process is for this Committee and others with jurisdiction over the
Head Start program in both the House and the Senate to amend the Head Start Act to allow
all Head Start programs to begin serving infants and toddlers. In an era of reduced federal
spending, decisions to increase funding to Head Start to continue growing the program will
be difficult if we look only at shor term benefits. But if Congress focuses on the future,
the answer is clear - Head Start funding must be increased to ensure continuing, high ~~
quality expansion.

VIL. Conclusion

In closing, a genuine commitment to Early Head Start means that it will be necessary to
provide ample staff at the Head Start Bureau and in regional offices throughout the c

to handle growth and monitoring of the program. Additional spending will be required at
the local level for facilities, staff, staff training, and other costs. We must keep in mind that
the cost of serving each EHS child is higher than itis for an older child enrolled in regular
Head Start, Clearly, we are talking real investment here, But let’s ask ourselves three
questions. °

Given what we already know about the importance of the early years, can.we afford to
do nothing?

© Knowing that an investment in children is an investment in the future, can we say no to
those children currently unable to receive Head Start or Early Head Start services?

© Can we, as an enlightened nation, continue to talk about the importance of children
without adequately funding those services proven to make a difference?

[leave the Committee to ponder these three questions.
Again, I thank the Committee for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of Early Head

Start and I make myself available to the Committee now and at any time in the future to
answer questions on this or any other matter.


Implications for Policy and Practice:

Improve bealth and protection by providing health care coverage for new and
expectant parents.

Promote responsible parenthood by expanding proven approaches.
© Allipareats can benefit from solid information and support as they raise their children:
some need more intensive assistance,
© Certain parent education/family support programs promote the healthy development
of children, improve the well being of parents and are cost effective.

Safeguard children in earty care and education from harm and promote their learning and
development.

. ‘The nations youngest children are most likely to be in unsafe, cubstandard child care.
+ More than one third are in sisoations that can be detrimental to their development, while
mort of the rest are in settings where minimal Joarning is taking place,

Enable communities to have the flexibility and the resources they need to mobilize on
behalf of young children and thelr families.

Research tea from Rethinking the Bran in - New Insights into Early Development.
Conference Report - Brain tx Development in Young Children: New Frontiers for Resetarch;
Policy and Practice, Organized by the Pamilies and Work Instinne, Jone 1996

‘This summary prepared by the National Association of Child Care Retource aad Referral
Ageacics
1319 F St. NW, Sie. 810

‘Washington DC 20004
202-393-5501


148

weekends. A “whole child” approach to childcare must ensure a systemic connection between
the intellectual and emotional growth of children, their physical health and development, and
their welfare and safety. Any discussion of expanding or creating more childcare slots must take
into account the need to build more facilities. Expenditures for “bricks and mortar” and related
capital improvements such as chairs, furniture, computers, and internet links must be taken into

account. And in the end, there must be room and incentive for collaboration and innovation.
We are confident that others can benefit from the spirit of innovation and collaboration that is

making School Readiness such a success in Connecticut, and we will be happy to answer any

questions that you might have.

12


35

Our Family Workers are available and trained to work one-on-one with parents to
develop a family plan which helps parents review their options and set personal and
family goals. Often, these are the first plans an individual parent has articulated but they
are powerful none the less. One single mother recently outlined her welfare-to-work
goals for a job, an apartment with a yard, and a car.

School Readiness

A study released in January 1996 entitled "Bridgeport School Readiness",
represented a significant review of early childhood education in Bridgeport. The State
Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Social Services, the
CT Commission on Children, and the Graustein Memorial Fund, formed a partnership to
address school readiness in Connecticut. Along with the state's two other largest cities,
Hartford and New Haven, Bridgeport was awarded a planning grant to carry out the
research. Both the Committee Chair, and Co-Chair served on ABCD's Community
Assessment Committee to study Head Start expansion needs.

‘The final report states that over 50% of Bridgeport kindergarten students do not
have preschool experience (Bridgeport School Readiness Task Force, 1996). Fewer
Bridgeport children have preschool! experience than their suburban or state-wide
counterparts. The following table shows that state-wide 68 percent of children have
some pre-school experience and in three of Bridgeport’s suburban neighboring towns, the
percentage jumps to a high of over 90 percent of children with preschool experience.

Percent of Kindergarten students not attending preschool
(1993/1994)

Bridgeport 51.6 Monroe 6.1
Fairfield 18 Stratford 218
Trumbull 76 State-wide 32.0

Barly Head Start: Goals and Challenges nt)



67

For 1 licensed infant/toddler spot, there is 1 publicly assisted
supported child competing against 11 nonpublic assistance sup-
ported children. There is one TVCAA supported child competing
with two non-TVCAA supported children for a preschool slot.

Your continued support of Head Start and Early Head Start will
ultimately change the e the lives of children and families. Your support
builds families. you.

[The prepared sapecent of Ms. Ditrio follows:]


104

Pat, let me ask you a question here. Many of the Early Head
Start grantees were non-Head Start programs with experience
serving infants and toddlers. And they applied for the Early Head
Start funding.

How do the Early Head Start programs in this area work with
and communicate with non-Early Head Start programs? Are there
linkages that exist between those Head Start programs and those
that are not and have gone into the early Head Start effort? How
do you learn from each other? What could or should the Head Start
programs be doing to facilitate best practices in this area, so that
we are not at cross purposes?

Ms. DOOLaN. In Connecticut, both of the Early Head Start pro-
grams are associated with the Head Start Program. So the links
are there. It all works. We all work the same performance stand-
ards. That is fine. I do not know how the rest of the country works.

But my sense is that it would not be unlike what is happenin;
with school readiness here in Connecticut. And that is what Hea
Start programs look to support those other programs, child care
programs, pre-school programs, by sharing of services, and by act-
ing as a resource.

In other words, I think of health. In Head Start, we have health
advisory committees. We have people who are training to do
screenings and that type of thing. A Head Start program would be
able to provide support on how to put a health advisory committee
together, or maybe sharing their health advisory committee, by
being able to do some training.

I think that the performance standards are very clear in the way
in which they outline exactly what needs to be done. It is up to
each local program to interpret those.

Mrs. JOHNSON. What has been your experience in terms of imple-
menting those performance standards with regard to Early Head
Start here in Connecticut?

Ms. Doo.an. I think you need to speak to Jane.

Ms. DELAURO. Yes, Jane.

Ms. NorGREN. Ms. DeLauro, we are just starting. We just re-
ceived a grant, and we are working on it this spring. I think in
terms of performance standards, they are tremendous. They speak
of quality, and they speak of standards that are actually far above
what we are doing currently, and we have an accredited center.

So in terms of the care for children and in terms of the staff re-
quirements, the performance standards are truly the best practice.
It is going to be a stretch for us, and we are already starting here.
We are going to be stretched out. I think that Pat talked about
comprehensive services. We are working comprehensively across all
of our programs.

And as she mentioned with school readiness, I think that we
need to emphasize the Head Start model is really the model that
is being used nationally, because it is comprehensive. It is not just
the child, and it is not just the family, it is both. It is not just edu-
cation, but it is health and nutrition. It is all of the pieces that fit
together.

And most of us with day care programs or child care programs
have only had one or maybe two of those comprehensive services.
So the performance standards are asking for a very great stretch.


167

And that is that what we are talking about here is really a pov-
erty issue, and not necessarily whether this program has done its
job or not.

It appears to me, at least from the data, it appears that the Head
Start does its job up to the point where kids get into school. And
there are some other issues there having to do with issues of pov-
erty, and having to do with issues of an education system that per-
haps needs to be looked at differently and changed as well.

The whole area of hope for children, poor children, career edu-
cation, mentoring, all of those other areas are areas that I think
policymakers have to have the opportunity to take a look at as
well. It is not the silver bullet that is going to solve all of the pov-
erty issues. There are lots of other areas that we need to take a
look at. And where we have made changes in the Head Start Pro-
gram and focus in on poverty, there are other systems running par-
allel that we also need to take a look at as well to continue the
learning going forward on Head Start.

Mr. Towns. Yes, Ms. Golden.

Ms. GOLDEN. Just to underline two points. The first is a point
that Dr. Zigler made in his testimony, which is that not only do
Head Start Programs get children ready for school, which is univer-
sal throughout the research, but there is also evidence that if you
measure on real life outcomes and not on IQ, that there are effects
in terms of less retention in grade in school, and less special edu-
cation placement.

And to me, that is impressive and often astonishing when you
think of other things going on children’s lives. So it is important
to note that there are those effects.

The second thing that I would highlight, and again it was in Dr.
Zigler’s testimony, and it relates to something that Chairman
Shays mentioned earlier, is that there is certainly some research
evidence suggesting that more long lasting and more intensive pro-
grams have longer effects. So starting early makes a difference.

And Chairman Shays, regarding your suggestion that a longer
number of months might make a SiNerence. I do not think that is
proven, but it is consistent with what researchers see. So, for ex-
ample, early Head Start Programs are typically 12 months long to
ensure that children are receiving those services.

Mr. Towns. Let me just go back to you again.

Have we had enough time to evaluate the 1994 reauthorization
amendments, that those amendments have had on the program in
terms of performance, of course, and technical assistance, have
they been around long enough to really evaluate what has gone on
with that?

Ms. GOLDEN. My sense is that overall what we know about the
1994 reauthorization is that the key elements of it were on track.
That is the focus on quality, on the performance standards, on
technical assistance, and on monitoring. We have been doing some
looking at programs in terms of observing, and seeing quality that
is dramatic. Programs really are living up to the Head Start vision.

On the Early Head Start side specifically, the first range of pro-
grams have about a year’s experience. We have experience on the
technical assistance and monitoring side. We have a strong re-
search evaluation going ahead.


126

Based on more than 30 years of experience in guiding operations
in regular Head Start agencies, we provide leadership by:

© Setting forth a comprehensive strategy to support, enhance
and enforce high standards for program quality;

© Providing flexibility to local community agencies so they
can design services to fit the changing needs of families
and take advantage of opportunities to partner with other

local groups and resources; and

© Helping to stimulate the development of other State and
local initiatives to serve very young children and parents,
based on the Early Head Start model.

Safeguarding Quality

There is a special urgency to safeguarding the quality of Barly
Head Start programs. This program serves our most vulnerable and
dependent children--they can’t walk away or shield themselves

from inadequate caregivers or unsafe environments.

Our commitment to program quality begins with the Head start
Program Performance Standards. As required in our last
reauthorization, the Head Start Bureau completed a comprehensive
revision of the Performance Standards that included, for the

first time, creation of standards for serving infants, toddlers


45

Frank Oliva, Production Director Autrey hace, Hanan Resources Mgr.
ane 5.1997 _ Page 48

EDITORIALS

Response to Sheff
a fine initial step

Ic may not have resalved the budget issues needed 19
fund the bat the 1997 General Assembly ook, «
‘commendable and reasonable first step toward mecting the

Sheff vs. O'Neil
state lawmakers

pled ooietmae se of 30m Suen meg of ‘bills aimed
make
at aii - el ves.

4
o aieot in many ofthe Sas ua Pian

ONG
$Y 1g) Siero
ea)

sin Braigeptee New Have and
’ ce | eidind cane Rete
i AR, reading and summer school programs and

ing field ict
school districts wa a aims ‘of state Department of
Education and prope reports ioe Asssuby

each year.

Broporals would cox soot $90 milion abot
double what Gov. John G. Rowland original
fecommended, but most of the bills had bipanisan ‘king
in floor votes which indices the package is le 0

The five-year plan was an initiative from the Black and
‘Caucus in the Legislature and is an excellent

Puerto Rican
lack because it commits the staf wo a long-term solution to
the votearly chided ns that
tis the expansion o| is
eee owever,
recurrent theme in the Seri Fatah A nina
experiences continue er fn schooling repurdess of

Groups sich 2 nny Che ry
Coalition have urged early childhood education programs
for years but untif now lawmakers have only appropriated

funding for such programs. A
howe Sea eee nem scone

pout package wll beheld honage to an ultimate
resolution forthe next two years. because oe
buparuian suppor forthe Bills we doubt et the package

wallchan

‘Overall he package isa sensible and reasonable
response to Shef it does not burden state resident with
soon eat oeoviger autos sep we fe leis
Sener to test many of these programs before making large-

The will 3 everyone

age will aot

shette taste ae pocstg tt efor shores buts
programs will begin to mect the needs of more of the
{fiate's public school children,



87

uatiny class. And it would become one of the proudest moments in
my life.

I would also attend the Parent Leadership Training Institute, a
20-week intensive leadership course, sponsored by the Connecticut
Commission on Children, and receive a citation from the Connecti-
cut General Assembly for that accomplishment.

I have now gone on to be a consultant with the Department of
Health and Human Services Head Start Bureau conducting Fed-
eral program reviews and doing other various parent involvement
consulting in early childhood programs throughout New England.

I also have had many opportunities to speak nationally about
welfare reform, parental involvement, and program governance. I
have been a part of local, State, regional, and national initiatives
related to early care education, and truly have developed into a re-
spected professional.

Head Start had provided me with many mentors, role models,
and people who have realized and believed in my potential. Head
Start has made me who I am today, and has truly become my fami-
ly’s foundation. Head Start has given me more in a few short years
than I could ever have imagined.

Research about the effects of Head Start has always been de-
bated. But I am here today and my family is one out of thousands
from across the country that would have been able to come and tes-
tify about their life changing experiences, because of their involve-
ment in a Head Start program.

John has been attending the Regional Multicultural Magnet
School in New London. We have not needed to address issues con-
cerning fade-out. He is now attending second grade, and still con-
tinuing to succeed.

I have been taught well by the Nation’s most successful edu-
cational experiment, and I will carry those teachings into my public
school. I have become empowered enough to ensure that my child
receives the best quality education possible, and I am confident
that he will continue to thrive because of my involvement.

I do realize, however, that being part of a school that accepts
parents as partners makes all of the difference in the world. My
son’s school values the involvement of parents, and parents are
welcome into the classroom at all times.

The Regional Multicultural Magnet School has a Head Start
model approach to parent involvement. Many schools are far from
receiving parents as partners, and it is truly unfair to hold Head
Start responsible for traditional public school philosophies on the
issues of fadeout.

We also know that children succeed when both families and
schools are involved with the child. Whether my involvement is at
home or at school, John will continue to succeed because of my in-
fluence.

Some of my experiences including my Senator in Washington, or-
ganizing parent focus groups for the assistant secretary, working in
partnership with the ACF regional administrator, sitting here with
the founder of Head Start, serving on the National Head Start As-
sociation Board of Directors, working with the Commission of the
Department of Human Services, and advocating for both the Con-
necticut, and New England, and Regional Head Start Associations.


statistical support for the proposition that Head Start produces significant short-term gains.
However, disagreement continues over the program's long-term effects. Children who attended
Head Start had certain benefits. Generally, they were not required to repeat early grades nor
‘were they placed in special education classes. However. these benefits disappear by the fourth
grade. .

‘Some people wonder why these benefits are not sustained in the long run. Well, o me
the answer to this question is no great mystery. Head Start serves the poorest of the poor. In
1997, 64% of Head Start families had incomes under $9000 per year. Head Start does not remove
children from poverty or environments in which poverty exists. Therefore, children who
graduate from Head Start will still be faced with poor nutrition and poor health care.

‘These children will attend schools with inadequate space. staff and equipment. Moreover,
because those children are poor. they will be faced with overt or implicit expectations of low
educational attainment. It may not be realistic to expect a few years of Head Start to overcome
all these things. The answer to reversing the Head Start “fade” is wo compensate with enrichment
programs that begin in third or fourth grade.

‘Again, Mr. Chairman thank you for holding today's hearing. [ look forward to hearing
the testimony of our witnesses.


EARLY HEAD START: GOALS AND
CHALLENGES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1998

House OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES,
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT,
Norwalk, CT.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:15 a.m., in the
Community Room, Norwalk City Hall, Norwalk, CT, Hon. Chris-
topher Shays (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

resent: Representatives Shays and Towns.

Also present: Representatives DeLauro and Johnson.

Staff present: Lawrence J. Halloran, staff director and counsel;
J. Vincent Chase, chief investigator; Judy McCoy, chief clerk; and
Cherri Branson, minority professional stat member.

Mr. Suays. I would like to call this hearing to order, and to wel-
come our witnesses, to welcome our guests, and to welcome our col-
leagues who are serving in Congress from Connecticut. And to par-
ticularly welcome the ranking member of this committee, Ed
Towns, and to begin this hearing, which we are looking forward to.

A passionate advocate for early childhood development programs,
the actor, director, and producer, Bob Reiner, told me a story to il-
lustrate a point that he wanted to make to me.

He started his story by saying that while walking in a forest, two
men saw a child floating down the river toward a waterfall. As the
first man waded in to rescue the child, another floated by, and then
another. The second man kept walking. “Where are you going?” the
first man asked. “Why aren’t you helping me?” The second man an-
swered, “I’m going upstream to keep these children from falling
into the river in the first place.”

Today, this subcommittee has come upstream to look at a pro-

‘am designed to do just that. Early Head Start seeks to set a

ealthy course for infants and toddlers at risk of falling into the
treacherous waters of poor physical, emotional, and cognitive devel-
opment.

Building on three decades of success in Head Start programs for
3- to 5-year-olds, Early Head Start offers infants, mothers, and
families the services and skills needed to stimulate and nurture the
youngest minds at the most critical time from birth to age 3.

Physical science now supports what social science has known for
generations. A child’s early encounters, even prenatal sensory expe-
riences, play a decisive role in wiring the brain for learning, for
love, and for life. Missed opportunities can never be regained, and
the cost of lost capacity compounds exponentially for the individual

mM


150

J VAL

4
4

~
r
oO
Sr
<=
=<
—_

ap!

yr
’

SOUIULIE



42

References
Annie E. Casey Foundation (1997). Kids Count Data Book. Baltimore, MD.

Boyer, E.L. (1991). Ready to Leam: A mandate for the nation, The Cameigie
Foundation. Princeton, NJ.

Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition ( Feb., 1997). Advocate and Legislate Based on
Encts. Bridgeport, CT.

Bridgeport School Readiness Task Force (Jan., 1996). Bridgeport School Readiness.
Bridgeport, CT.

Children’s Defense Fund (Yearbook 1996). The State of America’s Children.
Washington, DC.

Copple, C., M.G. Cline and A. N. Smith (1987). Path to the Future: Long-Term Effects
‘on Head Start in the Philadelphia School District. U.S. Department of Health and Human
Sezvices, Washington, DC.

Connecticut Department of Education (1996). The Early Childhood Agenda. Hartford,
cT.

Connecticut Department of Social Services (1997). The Status of Child Care in
Connecticut: State Fiscal Year 1995-1996. Hartford, CT.

Connecticut Post (June 1, 1997). Youth at Risk.

Edmonds, W.,. Libero, T. Peeples and J. Primavera (1997) The Advisnne Kishy

presented a the 35th Annual New England Kindergarten Conference. ‘Cambridge, MA.

Hellerich-Toale, L» Shirky Kirkland, E and H. Ranks (1996), ‘The Nebraska Head

of Health and Human Services. ‘Washington, DC.

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 13


161

Testimony offered by Sarah M. Greene
Chief Executive Officer of the National Head Start Association
before the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
‘Subcommittee on Human Resources
February 19, 1998 -
Norwalk, Connecticut

I. Greetings and Introduction

Good afterioon Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the committee, representatives of
the fine state of Connecticut, fellow witnesses, honored guests.

My name is Sarah Greene and I am the Chief Executive Officer for the National Head Start
Association. It is indeed an honor and a pleasure for me to come before you today to
testify on a topic as vital to the success of so many low income children and families, and
as dear to me personally, as Early Head Start. I commend you, Mr. Chairman and
members of the committee for demonstrating the foresight and commitment necessary to
begin field hearings on this very important topic. In recognition of the Committee's
schedule and in the interest of preserving time for additional testimony and follow-up
guestions 1 will limit my oral testimony to afew brief remarks. I would ask thatthe
ymmmittee accept my detailed written testimony for the record.

Il. Background

I come before the committee today to share some of my experiences gained through
twenty-nine years of work with the Head Start program. I began as a Head Start teacher,
then Was promoted to director of a program, later became Executive Director of a
Community Action Agency and Head Stan Program, was selected as National Conference
Chairperson, was elected President of the National Head Start Association and finally was
appointed CEO for NHSA. My tenure with Head Start has given me an appreciation for
the program gained from a variety of perspectives.

‘As CEO for the National Head Start Association, I speak today on behalf of over 800,000
children and their families, 150,000 staff, and nearly 2,200 Head Start programs across
the country, including the 143 Early Head Start programs and the 22,000 families they
currently serve, For those of you not familiar with the association, NHSA is the private,
nonprofit membership organization that advocates for Head Start and supports all members
of the Head Start community. The Association provides support for the Head Start family
by advocating for provisions in law which will provide high quality services to children
and their families, by providing extensive training and professional development services to
all Head Start staff, and by developing and disseminating research, information and
resources that impact child and family-oriented legislation and Head Start program delivery.
Like the Head Start program, NHSA has a long and respected history of speaking for the
interests of low-income children and families.

IH. Head Start’s History Serving Infants and Toddlers

We ar all here today because we are interested in improving services to the very youngest
members of our society. This has been an interest of Head Start since its inception.


3

for inmate mothers who were pregnant and/or had children
between the ages of birth and 5. Women agreed to live in the
halfway house for 12 months. Developed in consultation with a
community advisory committee, the halfway house model:

-recognizes that during early, formative beginnings of a
child’s life, the performance of his/her mother must be
consistent and free of interruptions as much as possible to
provide the child with a consistent sense of being loved and
cared for and nourished as a basis for the child’s future
ability to form meaningful life relationships and patterns of
behavior.

ensures the continuity of care of the child by the mother to
the best extent possible given the reality of mothers’ legal
incarceration.

-enables the mother to become a more skilled parent and to
utilize the growth in her caring ability and her relationship
with her child as a motivating factor in her rehabilitation as
she is the child’s first teacher.

The model is developed to offer services through a strength based
case management system. All individual services to women and
children are provided through local community service agencies.
The goal of maximizing the mother’s independence through
education and assistance with accessing to community supports, is
felt to be vital to her sense of connection to the community
following once discharge from the structured setting.

The residential model provides 24 hour alert staff for supervision.
Custodial issues required by the Connecticut Department of
Corrections is handled discreetly so as not to have a major impact
on young children.


82

Early Head Start Goals and Challenges, Testimony of Jane F. Norgren
February 19, 1997, page 3

However, I would like to point out that many examples of “fade out”
occur in children who do not complete the Head Start program. A parent who
notes his or her child attended Head Start even though that child was only
active for a few weeks or months is likely to have a child who will not retain
its benefits.

Children who begin at four years old are more likely to “fade out.” I
cannot stress this point enough. We have learned that in order to accomplish
our goals we should start working with these babies at the earliest possible
age. Empirical evidence of brain development shows us that without such
effort, poor language and communications skills will become entrenched and
the child’s mental health will be endangered. Furthermore, a great many
children will be in worse physical shape, and, at the very least, their parents
will have delayed opportunities to enter the work force permanently.

We have leamed from our experience that one trained staff member can’t
handle too many extremely young children. One person simply can not tend
to the educational, emotional, nutritional and physical needs of more than
three babies at a time.

We need to provide parents the opportunity of Head Start full day, rather
than half day — and full year, rather than nine months a year, so that they
can work, and their children are more school-ready.

We need to identify special needs at the earliest possible moment. For
example, unless we discover the situation early on, deaf children won't learn
to speak and children who are exposed to lead poisoning may become
retarded. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

In association with Head Start founder Dr. Ed Zigler of Yale University,
our program is creating a research and evaluation model that will develop
standardized measuring techniques, monitor the perceptions of parents and
teachers, and keep a watchful eye out for issues involving mental health,
child abuse and neglect.

This model will evaluate children’s progress, our services to families, our
collaboration with community efforts, and our use of funds. Throughout
nearly 100 years of service to our community, the Child Care Center has
prioritized helping make our children smarter, healthier and safer, and,
ultimately, these are the standards by which we measure our Early Head Start
program.


EARLY HEAD START: GOALS AND CHALLENGES

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT
REFORM AND OVERSIGHT
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION

FEBRUARY 19, 1998

Serial No. 105-109

Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight

ee

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
48-274 WASHINGTON : 1998

For sale by the U.S. Govemment Printing Office
‘Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402

ISBN 0-16-057006-9
3S



108

Ms. DOOLAN. It is too soon to know.

Mr. Suays. Well, I want to know how many are eligible for Early
Head Start and then Head Start, I want to divide them, and how
many are being served. Pat.

Ms. DooLaN. I can tell you that we will serve 191 children in
Litchfield County this year in Head Start. And we have submitted
an Early Head Start proposal to start serving 75 children, knowing
that the number will grow over a 5-year period. ——

Mr. Suays. I want you to answer my question.

I want to know how many are you serving, and how many should
be eligible if you had full funding?

[The information referred to follows:]


182

Mr. SHays. How many in our audience may want to make just
a comment for a minute or 2? We have 1, 2, not many. So let us
just devote 10 minutes here.

Ms. Golden, is it Helen Taylor, who is the director of the Head
Start Bureau? Is she here?

Ms. GOLDEN. Yes. I would love to introduce Helen Taylor, the as-
sociate commissioner of the Head Start bureau.

Mr. SHays. Would you stand up. It is nice to have you here. You
know, sometimes you see your boss make comments. If you want
to correct anything or amplify them.

Ms. GOLDEN. It is Helen’s extraordinary commitment and experi-
ence that has brought us where we are.

Mr. Suays. Well, it is great to have you. If you all do not mind
staying, because it will just be 10 more minutes. And if someone,
of those of you here, had a comment, you could also ask a question
rather than just make a comment.

Who do we have? You are on line. We will just move you right
over. You have got to set the example. You are the pacesetter here.
You have got to be punctual and sharp.

Ms. Simon. Where would you like me to be?

Mr. Suays. Right over there.

Ms. Simon. Thank you very much for the opportunity. I did not
bring written testimony, but I will offer you some observations.

Mr. SHays. Your name?

Ms. Simon. I am Laura Lee Simon. I chair the Connecticut Com-
mission on Children. I have been a child advocate for, believe it or
not, almost 50 years.

Ms. DeLauro. I thank the commission for what you do. We have
not mentioned the commission. The Connecticut commission is
really terrific.

Ms. Simon. Thank you. Thank you very much.

I do not think that even in my attenuated memory that I have
even experienced a moment in the political environment that has
offered the opportunity for the stars being aligned to effect change
for children, and particularly young children, and to affect in fact
our entire society.

I think that the public policy issues of the day certainly have fo-
cused on children in a way that they never have in my lifetime.
And what I would like to do is simply indicate to you that the Com-
mission on Children in Connecticut in the last dozen years has pio-
neered in the field of school readiness. It has come to be called
school readiness. But in fact what that is is preventive policy, an
investment at the very beginning of life to assure the health and
safety, and early care, and lifelong learning of all of our children.

That certainly involves prenatal care, postnatal care, and all
kinds of health issues including immunization. It involves early lit-
eracy, and making it possible for youngsters to be prepared to learn
to read. It involves child care, and it involves Head Start, and it
involves preschool. And it certainly involves support for parents,
and parent involvement in all kinds of ways.

We have engaged in five synergistic kinds of strategies to help
effect that change. And it involves the research of models, and en-
actment of a very doable public policy throughout the Nation to
bring to Connecticut, and we offer this to you, to Congress.


181

target neighborhoods. The University’s Medical School supports a
therapeutic child care center to serve infants and toddlers with
severe disabilities. Other Early Head Start sites are linked
with community health centers that offer comprehensive prenatal
care, dental services and health care for families with infants
and toddlers, funded with other State and community resources.
These centers serve both Early Head Start families and the

community as a whole.

The Brattleboro Town School District in Vermont provides a rich
array of services including home visits, family literacy and
substance abuse treatment, special outreach to fathers, and a
child care center at the local high school. The program
generates more than $500,000 from State and local governments,
local foundations and businesses, including a partnership with
the First Vermont Bank which administers a revolving, low-
interest loan fund to help families establish credit and progress
toward economic self-sufficiency. In another new partnership
venture in Brattleboro, Early Head Start serves as the local arm
of Vermont’s welfare reform and job training agencies. This
arrangement reduces administrative costs and makes it easier for

families to gain access to these State resources.

Since 1965 Head Start has blazed a trail for our Nation by
showing the benefits of high quality, comprehensive early

childhood services. Many States and communities have built on


159

I want to talk about the position that the Association takes as
it relates to Early Head Start. First and foremost, we see the need
for it to be a seamless program from birth to age 5. I think that
many other testimonies of witnesses and our own experience tell us
that the continuity of services is a must in order for children to
have the full value of the experiences that are so necessary in order
for them to succeed in public school and in life.

Also, we certainly would not want to see children receive services
from birth to 3, pause, and go to whatever type of child care, and
then enter public schools. The type of comprehensive quality serv-
ices that are provided through the Early Head Start model and
Head Start need to continue.

Second, because of the rich years of history of Head Start serving
birth to 3 as well as the 2 years of experiences of early Head Start,
we would like to see all Head Start programs eligible to serve 0 to
3 based on their community needs, their ability to set up the infra-
structure, and the dollars to do so.

Currently, there is a 5 percent set-aside for 0 to 3, and programs
may apply, Head Start and non-Head Start grantees. But all Head
Start cannot from other sources serve the 0 to 3 population.

As you heard Elaine testify here in Connecticut and many other
States, there is funding for a number of at risk 3- and 4-year-old
children, that Head Starts have those available resources, and
could easily move to serve the additional children that are needed
in their communities.

Also, there are a large number of rural Head Start programs
where they are the only early childhood program in their area, and
would love to be able to serve that seamless number of children.
So we would like to see the law changed in the next reauthoriza-
tion to allow those programs that can to serve those additional chil-
dren.

While recognizing that growing programs beyond the existing 5
percent or even beyond the 10 percent, which has been suggested
by some Members of Congress, will require additional funding, re-
search clearly and repeatedly demonstrates the money invested
now in quality early childhood and family programs will pay large
returns in future spending.

The need for additional research. Since the early 1980’s, the Na-
tional Head Start Association has supported comprehensive re-
search on the impact of Head Start. On numerous occasions, Con-
gress has authorized funds for that purpose only to fail to appro-
priate the actual funding. NHSA welcomes and I would say de-
mands additional research examining the impacts of Early Head
Start and Head Start on low income children and their families.

At the same time, the Association cautions Congress not to delay
expanding services to infants and toddler simply to wait for Early
Head Start specific research.

The role of the Federal Government. Head Start programs
through its staff and parents have not alone made the program the
quality as it is today. It has been through partnerships of the Head
Start Bureau, regional offices, and the Federal Government. The
oversight and monitoring provision of T&TA has helped the pro-
grams to the point where they are today.




109

OY
tid)

ACTION FOR BRIDGEPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INC.

1070 Fark Avenue, Bridgeport, Conneticut *6604-3400

’depheae: (293) 3668241
ON)
Pax: (205) 394-6175
Martha Santiago, Chairperson (Chaves B. Tisdale, Esecutive Director
March 24, 1998
Me, Jesse Bushman
Goverument Reform and Oversight Committee
‘Subcommittee Reform and Oversight resources
B.372 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515

RE: Hearing on Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges

Dear Mr. Bushman;

‘This memo and. in in response to Mr. Shays on page 101 Head Sut “I want
to know how many are you serving and how many ae eligible”

Attached please find the Stte of Connecticut Early Childhood Agenda in Connecticut, which identifies the
‘numberof pre school slots und licensed childcare ceaters inthe priority areas as of 1996.

‘Since that time, School R Program which has as of 224/98
172 pe scoot sou i poy school arn plr MO sin eves neal eras

‘The newly acquired H.H.S. Expansion Funds for 1997-1998 are not included in these numbers.

‘Should you need further dewled information, pease contact Camille Jackson atthe State of Connecticut
‘ber telephone number is 1-860-738-4210.

Gaui thE

Elaine Libeno,
(Child Care Director

(CC: Camille fackson


30

Imagine taking several buses adding 2 to 4 hours of transpor-
tation time to drop and pick up your children at several locations.
What support are we giving to parents? Co-location of services is
important for family stability and for the success of welfare reform.

On the issue of fade-out, can Bridgeport’s low mastery test scores
in comparison to surrounding towns be attributed to the fadeout ef-
fect on Head Start? Hardly. Not when only 50 percent of Bridge-
port’s children attend preschool before kindergarten compared to 95
percent of Bridgeport’s closest neighbors. Not when nationally
Head Start children are more likely to attend elementary schools
of lower quality than their peers.

Our challenge today is to help children retain the Head Start
that they receive. To that end, child care needs to be run by a busi-
ness, meeting the consumer’s needs, and providing quality and
comprehensive services to children and families in an efficient and
cost effective model. This means investing in resources that are our
children, our parents, and our staff.

I will close by calling the committee’s attention to research in
early brain development. The Head Start Program is in a key posi-
tion to help millions of low income families understand how to give
their newborn the stimulation needed to develop socially, intellec-
tually, and to become happy, healthy, and productive people.

Early Head Start will be a pioneering program just as Head
Start was in the decade of the 1960's. We must not be asked to
choose between infants and toddlers and 3- to 5-year-olds. We need
both programs, if we are serious about investing for the future.

Support these Head Start programs and their integration. Invest
in low income families’ neighbor oods and communities to meet our
Nation’s challenge to be the kind of country that we all dreamed
and we hope we can become.

Thank you for the opportunity.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Liberto follows:]


89

Sub-Committee on Human Resources
Christopher Shays, Chairman
Early Head Start Hearing Testimony
Submitted by: Lisa M. Sullivan
February 19, 1998
Norwalk City Hall, Norwalk, Connecticut

1 want to begin by saying that I am honored to be able to testify before the
Sub-Committee on Human Resources and I want to personally thank you for
the invitation to share my families outcomes as a result of our participation
in both the Early Intervention and Head Start program.

I was nineteen when I became pregnant, and very excited about the pending
birth of my son. I tried to do everything I could to prepare for what would
become the single most important moment in my life.

The birth of my son thrusted me into a baby bliss. This baby bliss would last
only for a very short time however. I soon found out that I was not only a
mother, but also the mother of a seriously ill child. When John was 5 weeks
old, we were rushed to Yale New Haven hospital to learn of his life
threatening liver disease Biliary Atresia. This disease effects 1 in 20,000
children. I was crushed. I had only ever dreamed about having a happy and
healthy child. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to face
as a new mother. All of my emotions tured into a million tasks. I had to
become strong enough for both of us. There were lots of tests, tons of
questions, and most important to the hospital, was the question of who was
going to cover the growing medical expenses.


84

Mr. Suays. Thank you, Jane.

Lisa, it is nice to have you here, and we welcome your statement
as well.

Ms. SULLIVAN. Thank you. My name is Lisa Sullivan, and I like
to be known as a parent leader here today. I want to begin by say-
ing that I am honored to be able to testify before the Subcommittee
on Human Resources and members of the Connecticut congres-
sional delegation. I want to personally thank you for the invitation
to share my family’s outcome as a result of our participation in
both the early intervention and Head Start Program.

I was 19 when I became pregnant, and very excited about the

nding birth of my son. I tried to do everything I could to prepare
for what would become the single most important moment in my
life. The birth of my son thrust me into baby bliss. This baby bliss
would last for only a very short time, however. I soon found out
that I was not only a mother, but also the mother of a seriously
ill child.

When John was 5 weeks old, he was rushed to Yale New Haven
Hospital to learn of his life-threatening liver disease, biliary atre-
sia. This disease affects 1 in 20,000 children. I was crushed. I had
dreamed about having a happy and healthy child. Nothing could
have prepared me for what I was about to face as a new mother.

Coming from a middle class family, I had never wanted for any-
thing. I was very fortunate. Due to family circumstances and lots
of bad choices, I did not finish high school. Instead I chose to follow
a path with a person who I thought would become my lifelong love.
We were very young and very naive, and seldom looked back to
evaluate any of the choices we had made. The relationship would
not turn out how I had hoped, so marriage was no longer an option.

I had been working a full-time job supporting an apartment, a
car, and other living expenses. I had been covered under my fami-
ly’s medical policy. And after learning about my pregnancy, my
only concern was to obtain private insurance for John after he was

rn.

I had not prepared for the reality of John’s illness being consid-
ered a preexisting condition, which then excluded him from every
insurance plan I had looked into. While at Yale, I vividly recall the
social worker coming into my room one morning and telling me
that John would be eligible for Medicaid. It was a blessing. I ea-
gerly accepted the assistance, because my main concern was to

ave the ability to provide John with the best medical care pos-
sible.

The doctors had told me that it was a possibility that John would
require a liver transplant. Medicaid would have been the only way
that I could ensure that his every need would have been met.

John and I spent weeks and then months as residents of the sev-
enth floor Yale Pediatric unit. It seemed as though as soon as they
gave us the OK to come home, John would develop another infec-
tion in his liver, and we would end up back on the pediatric floor.
We spent many holidays in the pediatric unit, and the personnel
soon became my second family.

Due _to John’s extensive special needs, he was referred to the
Early Intervention Birth to T! Program in New London County.
Once we came home, they began the process of evaluating John for


12
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

February 18, 1998

‘Tut HOnoRADL A Cunisroriien SHAYS
CHAIRMAN

HUMAN RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTFR

‘House Committe on Govexnodmr REFORM AND OVEASIONT:
B-372 RAYBURN BUILDING

WASHINGTON DC 20515

Dear Chris,

Unfortunately, | will not be able to attend the hearing eatitied “Early Heed
‘Start; Goals and Challenges” sobeduled for Thursday, Febrosry 19, 1998 in
Norwalk, Comnecticut. However, I would like to take this opportunity to express
my support for the critical mission of the Barly Head Staet program and your efforts
1 examine performance standards for the messuremeot of the programs results
and cffectivencss.

‘The Barly Head Start program has served 37,000 low income children and
families by awarding grunts lo vemmunity based organizations which provide
services to eohance child and feenlty development, bulld networks of commatnity
programs, and improve the quality of sixfT members. This flexible approach to
governing allows local agencies to wilize resources in a way that addresses the
specific needs of law incume children and familics in their community.

‘An abundance of evidence cxists which indicates that the ability of children

Kertcen Commies 55 succeed in life depends in large part on their carly social, emotional, and physical
rmivmiad Furthermore, ‘and child devek sgrvups have
the importance of early intervention programs to ensure the well being of children
—- under the age of three. Avcontingly, President Clinton ls proposing to double the
Please Respond to: number of infants and toddlers served by Early Head Start to 80,000 by 2002.
{219 Loageorth Rolidog [Now is the time to develup perfurmance standards to measure the Esrly

howe: (203) 573-1418
(03) s13-9129

Mend roves exon it avenge Dial social, emotional, and
of our 7 ‘wo must the iamuc of
“fe out" of Head Sta schicrement” Ta incre invemmeat in the
development of our children Is a crucial undertaking, und we should be taking stops
‘to guarantee that this program hes the bility to cuntinve to benefit our children in »
significant way. Your hearing and the examination of the Early Head Sian program
will serve to help us in our efforts to ensure the well being of low income children.

=


The Creative Currieutum for Infants and Toddlers
‘Take children outdoors.

‘Take children—even young babies—outdoors every day when
‘weather allows.

Set aside a shaded grassy area for small babies and
Quiet activities, an area with a small climber and
swings, and an area for riding toys and for sand and
water play in your play yard.

Offer infants the opportunity to sleep, watch what
other children are doing and enjoy the fresh air in a
carriage, on a blanket, or in a snuggly

Create safe places for mobile infants to crawl, cruise,
climb, run, ride wheel toys, kick and throw balls,
garden, and play with sand and water.

Secure the straps on a stroller and insist that toddlers
hold your hand when crossing the street during a
neighborhood walk.

Gulde children’s behavior.

By helping children learn how to control their behavior, you
cocourage inner control and the bepianing of self-discipline.

Guide children’s behavior in ways that show respect
and help them feel good sbout themselves. “I am
‘going to help you stop kicking We'll find something
else for you to do.”

communicating

seltch when ey fight over the ball they are not
yet ready to share,

Pay close attention to a child who has a tendency to
hit and bite when he gets frustrated. Help him to
express his feelings in acceptable ways.

Use the environment to promote positive behavior:

(01957 Teaching Seranegis, nc... Washlagicn, DC



171

money that is actually going in, you are talking 4 percent of the
Head Start budget.

Mr. Suays. Let me do this. I get a sense now of what framed
your conversation. Let me wait until I am going to ask some ques-
tions, because I would love to get into this. You were doing our job
in a sense. You were telling us that, given the resource limits of
how you put your money. I am sorry to interrupt.

Mr. Towns. It is OK, it is OK. I am very interested in that. Let
me say though on another route which sort of triggered some other
thoughts, that studies have shown that girls tend to be equal with
boys in math and science until about the third or fourth grade.
Now we see something going on at the same time with Head Start
graduates.

Are there studies to show that something is going on in terms
of the culture maybe at that stage at a time in those grades?

Dr. ZIGLER. Yes, there is. There is a whole body of work, a lot
of it done by Carol Gilligan and others, that demonstrates that
there is a very complex set of circumstances, and it has to do with
girls’ self-image and the way that they are treated that leads to
this dropoff that you are correct in pointing out.

It is not related particularly to poverty. It seems to be a particu-
larly general cultural feature, in which girls simply get a message
about themselves that they are not as capable of doing this as boys.

Programs now are beginning to work on that, and hopefully we
will see the end of that phenomenon, because things are changing.
But the work is fairly clear that the drop off that you talk about
is certainly there. And it seems to be a general cultural phenome-
non that cuts across socioeconomic classes. A lot of it simply has
to do with giving children, girls in particular, certain better self-
images about themselves that they are indeed capable. But that is
about where we are now.

Mr. Towns. Thank you very much.

And thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for your generosity in
terms of time.

Mr. Suays. We will come back, if you have some more questions.

Ms. DeLauro.

Ms. DELAuRO. Thank you very much, Chris.

I have some questions. Dr. Zigler, you have been doing the work
that you have been doing for a very, very long time. And in the re-
search, you have also been dealing with the Federal Government,
and with congressional committees, and Congress for a very long
time.

I will just give you my personal view at the moment. I think that
we have an amazing opportunity. I wish that we were going to be
in session longer than we probably are going to be. There have
been estimates from 57 to 70 days as the amount of time. Because
I happen to believe that the external pressure for child care, for
Head Start, for the preponderance of information with regard to
the scientific research on what we are understanding as the way
that we could impact the lives of our youngsters, has reached a
critical mass.

And as you know better than I do, because you have been dealin,
with the Congress a longer time, that when you have an externa.
push, an external desire for a change, and you have the beginning


96

Mr. SHays. Lisa, you are a wonder, for a whole host of reasons.
But I have never heard anyone read a statement so quickly and get
through so much and never take a breath.

Ms. SULLIVAN. I was putting it all in.

Mr. SHays. You did great.

Ms. SULLIVAN. Thank you.

Mr. Suays. I could not help but think that they actually pay me
for this job, and I had the privilege of hearing all of you. What a
wonderful statement that each of you made, and how helpful it is
to us. And we will have a dialog. I will ask Ed to start out.

Mr. Towns, you have the floor.

Mr. Towns. Thank you very, very much.

And let me say to you right up front, that regardless of how my
question sounds, I am committed. And I want you to know that. I
want to make that very clear to you. But we ask certain things
sometimes to make certain that we get them on the record, to be
able to share with our colleagues.

And let me just say before I start. I was just listening, Lisa, as
you were going along. At first when you started out, I said I just
wish the entire subcommittee was here to hear you. And then fi-
nally, as you continued, you know, I said God, I wish the entire
committee was here to hear you. And then as you really continued,
finally I said I wish the entire Congress was here to hear you.

I am certain that as a result that we would not be doing some
of the ugly things that we are doing down there, if they could just
hear you and hear what you had to say. Because I think that is
very, very important.

Let me just sort of open up by asking you: What do I say to those
folks who say Head Start only has short-term gains and very little
long-term effects, what do I say to those people? Help me.

Ms. NORGREN. I think that we should ask Lisa to respond to
that. Because we can see that this is going to be a long-term effect.
And I think that each of us has led into that. Our goal is to em-
power families, and our goal is to work with children and families
to become self-sufficient.

Mr. Towns. What they say to us is we spend this money. And
after 3 years in school or 4 years in a regular school, then whatever
they have is lost, a lot of it. This is what the argument is from
those who do not really support the program. That is what they
generally say. So give me some ammunition to be able to deal with

em.

Ms. Ditrio. I think it is important to remember that the Head
Start Program is really working with the total family, and not just
the child. And when someone raises a question about what happens
to these gains when the children are now in a public school, it is
important to remember that public schools are charged or have as
their mission the overall academic education of all of the children
in the municipality. And they have that as their primary focus, and
parent involvement and support services are really secondary.

In Head Start, the support services and the parent involvement
piece are really an integral part of the services that are being pro-
vided. And I see that as a difference of what happens when chil-
dren and families are then moved into the public school.

Mr. Towns. Thank you, Dona.


185

There are a couple of factors that ought to be considered. I know
that it takes place in Bridgeport. In Bridgeport, CT, children spend
1 year or 2 of 5 hours a day of Head Start, and then enter into
kindergarten where they get 2¥2 hours a day for a year in school.

So when you consider loss of gains, remember the fact that they
are going from a minimum of 5 hours a day. Some of our children
attend for 7 or 8 hours a day.

Mr. SHays. You mean it is a half-day program?

Ms. MALONE. It is a 2¥2-hour-a-day program in kindergarten.

The other thing that I wanted to mention is that at ABCD, we

_have a child development advisory committee. And this committee
helps us put together our plan for helping children make a transi-
tion from preschool into kindergarten. And we include kindergarten
teachers and other members of the board of education on our com-
mittee.

Last year was the first year that we had this committee. We
asked them at our very first meeting, “What do you want preschool
children to be able to do, or to know, when they enter into kinder-
garten?” And they said to us quite frankly that the Head Start chil-
dren are ready for kindergarten. When they come in, they can spot
them. We do not even have to tell them which ones are ready for
kindergarten.

However, those Head Start children are placed in classrooms
where 6 out of 10 children have had no preschool experience what-
soever. And when they talk about kindergarten readiness, they are
not talking about knowing the alphabet and knowing colors and so
forth; they are talking about being able to function in a group,
being able to focus attention, being able to follow directions, under-
stand directions, control impulses, function independently, and fol-
low classroom rules.

And this is what we work on in Head Start for 1 year to 2 years.
And when our kids leave us, they are ready. But they are going
into classrooms where 6 out of 10 children do not have any of these
skills. And the teachers have the chore in 2¥2 hours a day to get
those kids up to kindergarten readiness skills. And what happens
to the children who come in with those skills, what are they doing
with them?

Mr. Suays. That is a good question.

Any last word from our panel?

[No response.]

Mr. SHays. You have been really patient, and I appreciate that
you have spent most of the day with us.

And particularly, Secretary Golden, it is great to have you here.
And Commissioner Thomas, and Dr. Zigler, and Ms. Greene, it is
great that you all came. And thank you so much.

(Whereupon, at 3:10 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]

O°


170

But right now, I think the way to view this is not as a massive
new program that is in some kind of competition with Head Start,
but rather as a very important experimental effort that will inform
this Nation on some very important issues about early child devel-
opment.

Pair. SuHays. What happens, though, if you really come and make
an assessment that Early Head Start is even more important than
Head Start?

Dr. ZIGLER. Well, that is a very good question. There are things
happening in this country. I am a lot closer to the end of my career
than its beginning. But if I look into the future and try to answer

our question, Head Start had a tremendous impact on this Nation.
Head Start is now very important, and we all work for it. But the
fact of the matter is that we now have 28 States, including Con-
necticut, which just last year started their own State program for
preschool children.

The wonderful report, “The Years of Promise,” by our best think-
ers said that where this country ought to go is universal preschool
education. We should not just be having preschool education for
Head Start children, but we should have preschool education for
every single child.

Head Start today, if you make $5 more than the poverty line, you
cannot have Head Start. Someday this country will really learn the
lesson from Head Start, and say OK, let us have a Head Start-like
program for every child in America.

And once you do that, and it is beginning to happen now, it is
happening right here in Connecticut as we speak, and it is happen-
ing in 27 other States. California is thinking about a universal 3
to 5. Georgia and New York decided to start only with 4’s, which
I think is a mistake. You start with 3’s, if you are interested in pre-
school.

Now when that day comes, when that day comes, that is the time
for all of you in Congress to take a good fresh look at Head Start,
and say hey now we have got this data on Early Head Start, now
the States may well be doing preschool education. Let us take this
rather sizable Head Start budget and concentrate it on the years
from birth to 3.

So that may be the future of early childhood intervention, but
that is down the tracks some years.

Mr. SHays. I was asking the question, recognizing that it would
be rather cruel, I think, to have a focus on a family and children
at 0 to 3, and all of a sudden pull the rug out from under them,
and have a gap between 3 to when they go to school.

But you seem to imply that we could wait and focus on Head
Start, and you almost use Early Head Start as a research effort.
And it seems to me that if you really believe that 90 percent of
your brain develops in the early years, then how can we afford to
wait? That is kind of what I am wrestling with.

Dr. ZIGLER. Well, it would be a very dramatic change. And the
evidence really is not in. The other thing is simply cost.

Congressman Shays, if we had all of the money in the world, my
advice to you would be do not wait a second, do both programs, do
them huge, do not wait for the evidence, that we have enough evi-
dence. But we do not have the money. You know, the amount of


5

© early identification of children with special needs

e increased understanding of the effects of secondary smoke
and successful attempts to stop smoking

* consistent behavior to address substance abuse issues

¢ active participation in parenting classes and demonstrated
practice in their relationships with their children

¢ an ability to utilize community resources and agencies and
advocate for their family

e demonstrate positive behavior when parenting.

The Connecticut Department of Correction, together with Head
Start, builds families.

In the last Early Start Funding Wave, NEON, in conjunction with
the Norwalk Public Schools, funds were requested to support 24
families with infants and toddlers at Briggs High School.

The site was selected because of the estimated 160 students
enrolled approximately 75 are teen mothers or fathers. Early Head
Start meets the numerous challenges presented with teen parents.
First, it is critical that the teen parents complete their high school
education. Secondly, the teen parents need education and guidance
regarding their roles and responsibilities. Thirdly, comprehensive,
holistic case management services will create systems and support
for the family unit.

Briggs High School has a successful model for young male teen
fathers. Their experience indicates young men often do not
understand their roles and rights ‘as parents. Subsequently, young


36

‘The Bridgeport School Readiness Report gives the following demographics of
Bridgeport’s children 5 years of age and under:

Age, 1990 Census # of Children
Under 1 year 2,070
1 and 2 years 5.253
3 and 4 years 4,521
5 years of age 2,169
Total 41,252

Family and home-based child care is available throughout the city of Bridgeport.
‘The Greater Bridgeport Family Day Care Association, an organization comprised
Primarily of licensed family child care providers, is the largest family day care
association in the State of Connecticut. Nearly 600 children are served by its 100
licensed providers. There is, however, a perceived need to improve the quality of the
child care provided in order to encourage parents to utilize this service which is clearly a
cost effective altemative given that center-based care is in short supply as seen below.
Servi . Bid

‘Type of service Number of slots*
Head Start 700
Day Care 170
School-based 608
Private nursery 1381

2,859

(*Source: Bridgeport School Readiness
Report, 1994-95 data, not all are licensed slots)

Of the preschool spaces available in Bridgeport, only 336 spaces exist for the
more than 7,000 infants and toddlers. Even when infant and toddler care is available,
private nursery and day care is costly on an hourly, monthly or yearly basis. The State
of Connecticut Board of Education, in its 1996 Early Childhood Agenda, estimates that a
parent must work 40 hours per week at $4 per hour to pay for infanv/toddler child care
and $2.88 an hour to pay for preschool child care costs alone (CT Department of
Education, 1996). One popular private day care center which previously served 62 low-
income children closed last year citing inability to meet its operating costs in an area
which could not charge market-rate prices because target families could not afford to pay

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page7


181

is how not to put programs in competition with each other that are
both working, but how we move up the continuum with Head Start,
how we begin the process of Early Head Start, making sure that
we have in place what you all believe are the right ways to proceed
here, so we do it right at the same time.

That is the kind of substantive input that we need, I think, to
help us to lay out the next several years, and moving this along
so that we get to the goal, and not keep missing the goal where
we end up taking two steps backward. That is, I think, how we
have to try to proceed at doing things.

And again, I will just end by saying that I do not think that we
have a better moment than now to try to plant our feet firmly in
this area.

Thank you, Congressman Shays.

Mr. SHays. Thank you.

I just need to get two things on the record here.

Dr. Zigler, do we need more research, or do we already know the
answer about Head Start and Early Head Start? I am getting the
sense of yes and no.

Are there not a lot of studies already, and do we not already
know the answer to this question?

Dr. ZIGLER. We do not have a single study yet on Early Head
Start. You know, people like me who deal with data have to be
skeptical. Everything that I know about human brain development
and other smaller type studies says that Early Head Start ought
to work. What you are talking about is an implementation of a big
new program.

Mr. SHays. But have there not been studies of other programs?

Dr. ZIGLER. Nothing like this, nothing of this magnitude.

Mr. SHays. We may not have called it Head Start, but there are
State programs that have focused in.

Dr. ZIGLER. Not 0 to 3.

Mr. Suays. No kidding.

Dr. ZIGLER. Not 0 to 3. There are very few 0 to 3 projects that
have ever been mounted. Remember that all of this only started
with the starting points report of which I was a member, where
Early Head Start was first recommended. The fact is and the sad
thing is that the whole area of 0 to 3 is a huge vacuum in this
country, the same way that the preschool period was a vacuum
until Head Start came along.

I do not think that the Federal Government is going to do it all
anyway. I think that just as Head Start is what stimulated 28
States to go after preschool education, I think that doing this study
as a good, important, high quality experiment, collecting the data
that is going to be collected, and it is when we get that data that
I think that I would then take the big push forward. But I would
think that it is premature today.

Mr. Suays. Thank you.

Do any of you want to make any closing comments?

I have a gentleman that I need to get back to New York. And
I do want some from the audience to be able to participate.

Is there any kind of last comment that you would like to make?

(No response.]


48

Attachment 2
The Creative Curriculum for Infants & Toddlers


117

four. And that is where we were, and we were trying to include
parents, and trying to deal with a comprehensive set of services in
terms of intervention, and allowing youngsters to be able to be
ready for preschool, and taking a look at what some of the other
developmental issues were for the family.

We then found out that what we need to do is not be starting
at 3 or 4 years old, but moving from 0 to 3 because you can have
the greatest impact.

I think that you can have parents who are participating at 3 to
4 years old. Some may not participate at 0 to 3, and maybe use it
as a baby sitter. But nonetheless, the goal with all of this has to
be that there is parental involvement, parental accountability, and
parental responsibility. And at the same time, provide a program
which deals with what we know scientifically in terms of providing
that atmosphere and that environment where development is oc-
curring for the child while the parent cannot be there and linking

in.

And hopefully, you carry that forward through parents and
through schools. One of the issues that we did not talk about with
regard to fadeout that was mentioned earlier, and I hope that we
can get that addressed later, is what happens with schools and
fadeout, where are we dropping the balls with our schools when
kids enter the schools.

I do not think that you can make blanket statements about when
parents get involved, if it is more earlier than later. I mean the
goal has got to be to get parents right up front.

Mr. Suays. I am just trying to distinguish between the goal and
the theory versus the practice. And it may be that the practice is
just the way that the theory is supposed to be. I am just not sure
that it is, but I know that I like the theory.

Ms. LIBERTO. There is also under the Head Start standard per-
formance measures other ways for parents to get involved. There
are things called family partnership agreements, which is a
strength ‘Fased model, where a social worker or a family worker
works with parents, and has to set goals throughout the year for
them to achieve.

And I could give you case study after case study. One of parents
said that she was on drugs, and had a goal to get off drugs, within
a year to have a house with a yard, and a car, and a job. And she
met all four goals because of the social worker, the family worker,
who worked with her in achieving that. She did not even know
what a goal was.

So we have service planning meetings too which involve the par-
ents and both the family worker and the teacher to set goals, and
you involve parents to set individual education plans with the stu-
dents. So parent involvement is through all areas of all ages of
Head Start, whether it is early or regular.

Mr. Suays. Ed.

Mr. Towns. No, Mr. Chairman. You have asked my questions. I
wanted to know the population of Litchfield, and I wanted to know
the population of Bridgeport. I think you have answered that.

Mr. SHAyYS. Well, I may have done it incorrectly. I told him that
Bridgeport is about 150,000, but Litchfield is under 100,000.

Ms. Doo.an. Litchfield County.


‘Sharing activites with famities
‘enables them to extend children's
learning at home. (Chapter 3)

Intro-5

Offer planned activities.

During the day, offer children the opportunity to engage in
‘activities that you plan and introduce.

Think through activites appropriate tothe develop-

mental stages of the children you are caring for. Are

the toddlers ready for five-piece puzzles? Kita

good day for fingerpainting?

Repeat an activity from the day before that children

especially liked.

Choose the right time to introduce an activity. If the

‘morning has beea especially loud and hectic, bring

out the playdough, and introduce homemade musical

instruments.

Be aware that what children take from an experience

‘ay be different from what you had planned, Don't

if a walk to the comer tums into

rushing an earthworm fight outside your oon

Share ideas for activities and tips for doing them
parents so they can try planned activities at

home. “This is the playdough recipe we made today.

The children loved it.”

Clean up.

Periodically, put away toys and materials that are not being
used.

Invite children to join you as you put things away.
Be sure shelves and containers have picture labels so
mobile babies and toddlers can help put their toys
away.

(©1997 Teaching Strmiegies, tc., Washington, DC


188

Introduction

Good moming Chairman Shays. | am Joyce Thomas, Commissioner for the State of
Connecticut's Department of Social Services. On behalf of Governor Rowland and his
administration, 1 want to thank the members of our federal Congressional delegation who are
here today . Thank you Chairman Shays, Representative DeLauro, Representative Johnson,
Representative Kennelly, and Senator Dodd for giving me the opportunity to testify. We also
want to extend a hearty Connecticut welcome to our guests from other states, including
Representative Towns, Representative Snowbarger, and Representative Pappas. I trust you will
let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more informative and more

enjoyable.

Background on Department of Social Services

‘The subject of today’s hearing is “Barly Head Start: Goals and Challenges.” The purpose is to
“examine the mission, plan and performance standards for the Early Head Start program.”
Before I begin, let me acknowledge that we have two Early Head Start programs operating on
Connecticut, Our interest in these issues could not be greater, particularly since the mission of
the Department of Social Services is to serve families and individuals who need assistance in
maintaining or achieving their full potential for self-direction, self-reliance, and independent
living. To accomplish this mission, we employ about 2,300 employees, with recurring operating
expense of approximately $142,000,000 per year. DSS is designated as the state agency

2


49

The Creative Curriculum for Infants & Toddlers
--Introduction—A Typical Day Caring for . >
Infants and Toddlers

Review your plans for the day.
leaning abcad frees you obs | As you walk into your center or make a cup of coffee before
Sexible and responsive tothe indi- | the first family arrives on your doorstep, run through the day
Ties. (Chapter 5) in your mind.
‘+ Collect all the ingredients for playdough.
* Plan bow you will give your special ateation to «
child who has ‘especially quiet and with-

cee op noting tnfamte and toddlers ]-+ <drawn for the past two days. Make a point of “+
‘lows you to moct individual talking with the child’s grandmother about what
neods. (Chapter 2) She has noticed at home.
(Check over the environment.
Gaming univcarioamea gre] 1 the quict of the moming, take « good look at the space.
ie awe erty tat + Note any toys that need to be repaired or replaced.
to explore th people Remove the broken fire truck with the sharp
things in hei work. (Chapa 7) from the shelf, tee

‘© Replace a missing outlet cover immediately.
* Hang s mobile ver the changing ble 1 give aa

babies something interesting to see that they can
Seating owen erin: «touch or kick and make move.
itcemomprchiaes to” | * Puta new picture book out on the shelf to catch
‘explore and lear. (Chapter 6) toddlers’ interest. Remind yourself to sit down,
‘snuggle, and read with children.

(©1997 Teaching Sueegis, ec. Werhinguon, OC

ao


78

Mr. Suays. Thank you very much, Dona.
ane.

Ms. NORGREN. Good morning. I would like to thank Congressman
Shays and the subcommittee for your invitation to share our expe-
riences with you. My name is Jane Norgren, and I am executive
director of the Child Care Center of Stamford, CT. Our agency was
established in 1902, and provides services throughout Stamford
and our surrounding area.

We are dedicated to providing families quality early care and
education programs in a safe and healthy environment. We operate
programs for 880 children daily between 8 weeks and kindergarten
age. Our services work together as one stressing health, nutrition,
literacy, family services, and education.

Our efforts are in tandem with parents and the community. The
family is each child’s first teacher. With prenatal education, our
Early Head Start program actually begins in the womb. The fami-
lies who are in need of our Early Head Start program are the poor-
est of the poor. They are at risk and are more likely to be dysfunc-
tional. A great many at-risk children grow up in violent environ-
ments, both in their neighborhoods and within their own families.

Without professional support and intervention, the stress of this
family life may have a permanent negative impact on infants, tod-
dlers, and preschoolers. We do not want our children to become
part of the welfare system for life or even for their childhood.

Our goals are to equip them with the social skills they need, and
to give their families the opportunity to improve their economic po-
sition. The children receive the benefit of a Head Start education
in our nutritional and health programs. Their parents learn how to
nurture their children while acquiring the time for literacy, and the
life skills needed to find lasting employment. All parents get the
opportunity to become the type of parents that they need to be and
that they truly want to be.

Families of children in our Early Head Start Program will be less
likely to move into regular Head Start. Our goal is that they will
no longer qualify. Their parents will be doing better economically.
We envision children moving from Early Head Start to our regular
comprehensive day care programs. While this is no rags to riches
story, this is a win in everybody’s column.

We have served children under 3 since 1985. These graduates
have done well. Evidence indicates that a much higher percentage
go into programs for the gifted. They are better at interacting with
others, and they are far better at language skills. These children
can Communicate their thoughts and feelings to each other and to
adults.

All of our children are read to, even by each other. Children who
are read to become readers, and readers excel. We all know the
principle of fade-out, in which Head Start benefits tend to dissipate
after several years of traditional schooling. The schools must be en-
couraged to provide programs to take advantage of the Head Start
that they have received.

I would also like to point out that fade-out occurs in children who
do not complete the Head Start Program. Some parents note that
their children attended Head Start, even though this child was
only active for a few weeks.


88

In conclusion, this past December, I became totally self-sufficient
when I received a full-time contract to work with the Department
of Social Services as a parent involvement specialist. I have left the
welfare rolls behind, and have truly lifted my family and myself up
by our boot straps.

I came into the Head Start Program during the last reauthoriza-
tion of Head Start in 1994. And in 4 years time, I have become a
confident, self-sufficient, and respected leader of my community.
My family has had the opportunity to become a part of the most
wonderful social service programs, and I will be forever grateful.

As we move into the 21st century, Head Start needs to be looked
at as a seamless program that provides quality comprehensive
services for pregnant women, children from birth to 5, and their
families.

If my family had been able to experience at an earlier time, we
would have been able to reach our family goals sooner. Head Start
has more than proven itself. And any family including mine would
tell you that they would give up all of those cards and food stamps
in a second to be able to have a paycheck, a tax return, and a real
insurance card in their hand.

Head Start helps families move toward self-sufficiency. And
hopefully, in the years to come, we will only see its funding in-
crease, so more of America’s families will have the same opportuni-
ties as I have had, and truly receive the head start in life that they
deserve. Thank you [applause].

(The prepared statement of Ms. Sullivan follows:]


43

Lee, V.E. and S. Loeb (1995). Where do Head Start attendees end up? One reason why
preschool effects fade out. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Spring 1995,
Vol 17, No. 1, pp. 62-82.

McKey, R.H., L. Dondelli, H. Ganson, B.J. Barrett, C. McConkey and M. C. Plantz
(1985). The Impact of Head Start on Children, Families and Communities, CRS, Inc.
Washington, DC.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy (1998). A New Focus on Infants and Toddlers. Vol. 10.,
No. 8, Feb. 12, 1998.

Shore, R. (1997). Rethinking the Brain: New Insights into Early Development. Families
and Work Institute, NY., NY.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (July, 1991). Federal Register (Vol. 56,
No. 133, pp. 31818-31820). Washington, DC.

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 14


129

A final component of our quality strategy is a strong research
initiative, to allow us to learn in a systematic way about the
long-term outcomes of this program on children and families and
to assess what mixtures of program strategies and services are
most effective. We selected 17 programs from our first two years
of funding to participate in a national evaluation that will
include careful assessment of how agencies implement the Early
Head Start model and quality standards, and will track a range of
program impacts on children, parents, and families. The national
evaluation is based on an experimental design that involves
random assignment of families to Early Head Start participation
or a comparison group. Data collection will include a variety of
measures of child development, video tapes of parent-child
interaction, and interviews with mothers and fathers. This
longitudinal national study will be complemented by a series of
local research teams that will document local variations in
Program strategy and investigate issues of particular interest to

local program managers and communities.

Supporting Local Flexibility

We balance strong requirements for program quality with a
flexible stance on how communities design programs and use Barly
Head Start funds. Agencies have wide latitude in designing their
program services to adapt to the needs of local families and to
take advantage of opportunities to link with local community

resources and partners. We expect grantees to continually


118

always interested me about Head Start is the component of parent
involvement.

So we need to know whether the new State programs are reflect-
ing our experience with Head Start in terms of including parent in-
volvement, whether the Federal Even Start program has that com-
ponent in Connecticut, and whether there has been any attempt
made by either the associations of family care providers or anyone
else to get a parent component in the voucher program, or the
home care providers, or the centers, or anything else. So that would
be helpful.

Ms. SULLIVAN. I just want to make a comment to that. In my tes-
timony, I stated that to become self-sufficient that I received a full-
time contract to work with the department of social services as a
parent involvement specialist. And I think that is something very
unique to Connecticut. That I have been a Head Start parent, and
someone has reached out beyond Head Start and believed and gave
me the opportunity to bring parent involvement to not only Head
Start programs, but to family resource centers, school readiness
programs, State funded child care centers, and so on.

So I am currently working in my new position working one on
one with those programs. And I will be doing more in the area of
parental involvement. And within the school readiness legislation
within the State, parent involvement is a piece of that.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Well, I do see that in the New Britain schools.
The family resource center is now beginning to serve those new
programs, but also serving stay at home parents. So any insight
that you can give us in the development of the parent involvement
component, either as part of Head Start or part of the other pro-
grams, as sort of a free wheeling independent involvement.

And Lisa, I did notice that in your testimony. I was very, very
pleased to see that the administration understood how important
that was.

Mr. SHAYS. One of the things that we want to do is get a handle
on how many are eligible and how many are being provided serv-
ices. I am trying to distinguish between Head Start and Early
Head Start.

You sit down with Bob Reiner, who, after his divorce, went
through a traumatic inward look at himself. He went back to his
entire childhood. He began to wonder why certain parts of his life
he considered dysfunctional. And he got really turned on to the fact
that scientists and others were telling him that 90 percent of the
brain develops in years 0 to 3. And he said that we are basically
ignoring this throughout the country.

When he looks at it, he is a strong proponent of Early Head Start
being more important than Head Start. And this is just kind of a
new area for us to look at. I think of my own daughter. My own
daughter is an A student in chemistry, in physics, and in math.
Her mom and dad are not sure that she got much of it from us.
And we said why do you think, Jeremy, that you do so well. She
said dad, I cannot stand not to understand something.

And I began to ask myself where that came from. And I thought
of her mom reading to her every night, thought of her in a Montes-
sori School program that just wanted her to investigate and explore
at the youngest of age.


122

Toward that end, we are reaching out to work with State and
local governments, nonprofit agencies, and the foundation commu-
nity to stimulate others to invent their own ways to provide more
young children with the opportunity for safe and healthy develop-
ment and early learning.

I appreciate this opportunity to report on our accomplishments of
Early Head Start, and in particular the exciting efforts of local
Head Start programs. I look forward to answering your questions.
Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Golden follows:]


127

and pregnant women, Based on input from thousands of early
childhood experts and practitioners, the Performance Standards
set forth consistent, high quality expectations for program

services, organization and management. For example, these

standards require Early Head Start staff members to earn a
nationally-recognized training credential, the Child Development
Associate certificate; mandate that each teacher work with no
more than four infants and toddlers (so they can build strong,
responsive relationships with each child); and require that each
grantee establish a Policy Council to involve parents and
community representatives in program planning and decision

making.

We have learned that setting forth standards is only the first
step in making quality a reality in a large national program. we
must stand behind our standards in the way we fund programs, the
way we inspect and hold agencies accountable for living up to our
standards, and the way we offer training and technical assistance
to help staff and programs rectify deficiencies in program

quality.

A second element of our quality control strategy is to work with
each local agency in a continuous process of program improvement.
This year we are sending monitoring teams to review the services
and management of 68 local programs that became fully operational

last year. Each team includes experts in child development,


151

66 AdS 86 AdS 246 AAS 96 AAS S6 AdS

SO.ANPIPUIAN YY a.0e_y PPL

o$
OLS
0z$
oes
Ors
oss
o9$
OL$
oss
06S
OOLS
OLLS
0z1$
OeLs
OvLS
OSLS
o9ls

SUOINU



155

regular Head Start program begins at age 3 or 4, many neural pathways have
already been pruned away; priceless opportunities to stimulate development have been
lost forever. Home visits, parent education, health services and quality early child care
experiences — the essential ingredients of Early Head Start — are most urgently needed in
the critical first years.

Long before magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was even possible, we knew
that Head Start alone was not enough to overcome the ill effects of poverty. It is very
difficult to change the growth trajectory of a child living in poverty. But a principle has
‘emerged from decades of research: the benefits of « program are directly related to its
quality and its intensity. For maximum impact, a program such as Head Start should be
both high in quality and long in duration. This is the thinking behind Early Head Start
and the Head Start Transition Project, which follows Head Start graduates into the first
few years of elementary school with the same attention to health, nutrition, parent
involvement, and other needs of the family. The concept of linking different programs
for children as they grow is consistent with what is called the "developmental model.” As
children pass through different stages of development, they need different environmental
nutrients. Just as good parents recognize the changing needs of their children and
respond with the sippropriate kinds of experiences and supports, interventions for poor
children should do the same.

A study of resilience in economically disadvantaged urban youth in Chicago,
published last month in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, confirms the
correctness of the developmental model. ‘The author found that children who had

participated in a comprehensive preschool program that continued on through the second


CONTENTS

Hearing held on February 19, 1998 ....
Statement of:
Doolan, Patricia, chairman, Connecticut Head Start Associati Elaine
Liberto, director, ABCD Head Start, Bridgeport, CT; Dona Ditrio, direc-
tor, NEON Head Start, Norwalk, CT; Jane N n, executive director,
the Child Care Center, Stamford, CT: and Lisa Sullivan, parent .......... 23
Golden, Olivia A., Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and
Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Jo}
Thomas, commissioner, Connecticut Department of Social Services; Dr.
Edward Zigler, Sterling professor of psychology, Yale University; and
Sarah M. Greene, chief executive officer, National Head Start Associa-

tion, Alexandria, VA 119
Letters, statements, etc., submitted for the record by:

Ditrio, Dona, director, NEON Head Start, Norwalk, CT, prepared state- 68

ment of o
Doolan, Patricia, chai. , Connecticut Head Start Associatior

Information concerning eligibles .. 109
Prepared statement of . 25

Golden, Olivia A. Assistant ta,

Families, partment of Health and Human Services, prepared

statement of 123
Greene, Sarah

tion, Alexandria, VA, Brepared statement of .... 161
Liberto, Elaine, director, ABCD Head Start,

statement of 31
Maloney, Hon. a

of Connecticut, prepared statement of .. 12
Norgren, Jane, executive director, the Chil

prepared statement of . 80
Shays, Hon. Christopher, a Representative in Congress from the State

of Connecticut, prepared statement of ... 3
Sullivan, Lisa, parent, prepared statement of 89
Thomas, Joyce, commissioner, Connecticut Department of Social Services,

prepared statement of .. - 138
Towns, Hon. Edolphus, a Representative in Congress from the State

of New York, prepared statement of ... OT
Zigler, Dr. Edward, Sterling professor of psychology, Yale University,

prepared statement of . 154

«uly


145

principle at the recent forum on childcare, is integrally tied to the goal of getting parents more
involved in school readiness and active on school readiness councils. In substantive as well as in

organizational development, we all have inherited much from the legacy that is Head Start.

We have told you a small bit of what we have leamed from the example of Head Start. But is
also is important to note what we in Connecticut have accomplished through collaborative,
systemic links to Head Start. First, recognizing the important role that Head Start plays in our
communities, we have launched an initiative to extend Head Start operations. By uniting
Department of Social Services funds, Education funds, and federal Head Start funds, we have
been able to ensure that Head Start programs can offer comprehensive services to welfare and
low-income families on a full-day, year-round basis. Through our School Readiness initiative,
we've created an Early Childhood Training Academy and a Childcare Facilities Loan Fund,
which can train and develop childcare personnel, and expand childcare capacity for Head Start
and other programs. We also have partnered with the Office of the Governor, the State
Department of Education, and Headstart to win a five-year federal grant that supports the
Governor's Collaboration on Children. Through this very broad collaboration, which includes a
‘multitude of public and private entities, we will develop and implement an action plan to ensure

that children in Connecticut obtain all the services they need for their health and development.

As with Head Start, collaboration and innovation have been the keystones of much of our work
in the area of childhood development. And while we're speaking of collaboration, we should

9


106

Early Head Start. So you have the continuity of care, and you get
the child at an early age, and they continue from Early Head Start
all the way into Head Start, and on to school. And that is really
the key for doing that.

When you are comparing costs, you are not dealing with just
child care. And I think that is something when you say how expen-
sive is Head Start or Early Head Start, Head Start offers all of
those services that they talked about. There are cheaper ways.
Even the State has some slots, we do not have any yet, with early
child care facilities. But you do not get the types of comprehensive
services that are needed for the development of the child in all of
the different developmentally appropriate areas.

So you have to make a choice. Are we just care giving, are we
just watching the child, or are we going to provide them with the
necessary resources to attain the goals that we want.

Ms. DooLaN. If I may just jump in here, please.

Ms. DeLauro. Sure, Pat.

Ms. Doo.aN. I just have to say that one of the things about in-
fant and toddler care is that it is very, very expensive. And people
do not usually go into that care, because of the age group require-
ments under the licensing. It is very strict here in Connecticut. The
child/staff ratio, the equipment that you need, and so on and so
forth. So that is one of the reasons why there is not a lot of private
care.

Ms. DELAURO. Does that include the training and experience of
the teachers for Early Head Start versus the older kids?

Ms. DooLaN. I was not talking Early Head Start necessarily. I
think that the beginning question, as I understood from you, is why
are there not so many slots for children in that 0 to 3 piece. Cost
has a lot to do with it. People do not stay in business very long.

I wanted to also say that I would never make a choice in Early
Head Start or Head Start. I see Head Start as a seamless system
0 to 5. And when we talk about funding Head Start, I think that
we talk about fully funding Head Start 0 to 5 for children and their
families.

Ms. SULLIVAN. I want to make a brief comment about the need
for infant and toddler services as it relates to welfare reform. Be-
cause when I first came into Head Start, Early Head Start was just
being put into the reauthorization of 1994. And I think that it is
very critical that as we go into the next reauthorization that we
look at the needs of families as they relate to time limits.

Because when I was coming into AFDC, it really was not a push
for me to find infant and toddler services to go back to work and
get job skills, and to do all of that. And I had a little bit more time
to work on my family goals. And I think that time is shortening.
For a lot of families, they are having to do a lot of things quicker.
Training programs are having to move faster.

So I think that it is important as we look into reauthorizing
Head Start and providing the seamless program for children birth
to 5, that we look at the comprehensive package. Because if you are
really asking parents to go back to work to become self-sufficient
for their families, if you are providing the services now, you need
to provide it in a broader way, so they will be able to do that.


66

As families are unique, so are communities. Using local assess-
ments, Head Start and Early Head Start respond accordingly. In
order for programs to be clear regarding expectations and require-
ments, performance standards are issued which promote our fun-
damental concepts as well as goals, and serve as a model for other
early childhood programs. Performance standards reflect best prac-
tice in early childhood as well as family support. Programs strive
to provide quality services.

It is critical to keep in mind that Head Start’s and Early Head
Start’s goal is to serve the poorest of the poor, the most economi-
cally and academically disadvantaged children. There is no evi-
dence of creaming during our enrollment. Head Start works dili-
gently to provide opportunities for children, all of our children, to
become school-ready.

NEON has had a unique experience in adapting the Head Start
model. In 1990, the Connecticut Department of Corrections award-
ed NEON a planning contract to research and develop a halfway
house model for inmate mothers who were pregnant or who had
children between the ages of birth and 5.

The halfway house model is successful, because it implemented
the best practices demonstrated in Head Start, and adapted the
comprehensive family development services to a specific population.

Is Head Start effective? Imagine that it is 1972. Beverly Rentz
is enrolling her daughter, Rayette McKnight, in the Head Start
Program. r 2 years at Head Start, Rayette enrolls in the Nor-
walk public schools, and is ultimately awarded her high school di-
ploma. She begins attending college part-time. In 1991, Rayette,
now a Head Start parent, is appointed to an assistant teacher posi-
tion. In 1992, she begins a career in community justice programs,
and is appointed the facility director.

When asked what role Head Start played in their lives, both
Mrs. Rentz and Rayette echoed strong family support, sense of
community, solid foundations for children entering kindergarten
and structure.

Imagine that it is 1993. Ruth E. Brown, mother of nine, enrolls
her last two children in Head Start. All of her children have high
school diplomas or college background, and have long-term employ-
ment histories.

“Head Start had a major influence in my life, because I not only
learned parenting skills, but I also gained employment skills in a
job, which contributed to my children’s survival,” says Mrs. Brown
of her Head Start experience.

These are but two of many success stories. There is a continued
need in Norwalk for Head Start and Early Head Start where the
median income is over $55,000. At Briggs High School, approxi-
mately 75 of the 160 estimated students are teen mothers or fa-
thers.


‘The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers

Encourage children to take naps.
Naptime can be a nice break from group life for children—and
for you.
‘+ Allow children to nap when they feel the need, while ‘Noptime helps children get the
you play with those who are awake. ‘rest they need. (Chapter 14)
+ Play quiet music or dim the lights to tell mobile
babies and toddlers that naptime is approaching.
+ Individualize rituals to encourage sleep based on
children’s temperament and preferences. Sit with Cancion tol eked cad comes
one child in a rocking chair, place another in his crib ot (Guupter 3)

and talk quietly to him for a few minutes.
* Observe health and safety precautions. Be sure each

child has his or her own space for sleeping and that ‘Acafe, healthy environment
pillows, heavy blankets, and large stuffed animals br flonan
‘are not placed in cribs. (Chapters
Encourage children to explore and play.
‘hroughout the day, invite children to explore and play.
+ Provide materials that encourage infants and toddlers 5
to use all their senses—e.g,, rattles, unbreakable mir- | “hen prune wep ee
rors, squeeze toys, texture balls, finger foods to taste ort thoy fr competen
and smell, fill and dump toys, simple rhythm instru- learners: (Chapter 10 and 11)
ments, playdough, books, and simple puzzles.
+ Give the mobile a gentle push as you change an
infant's diaper.
* Surprise children by adding a ribbon to the mobile ‘Making changes to the environ
‘hanging over the changing table or turning a table ‘ment Keeps it stimulating and
into a tent by covering it with a blanket. challenging. (Chapter 6)

‘+ Give a child who uses crutches, the extra time she
needs to move to and explore different areas of the
room.

+ Share your enthusiasm and pleasure in children’s dis-
coveries. “You found our new puzzle!”

(©1997 Teaching Strmegies, Inc, Washington, DC


173

And I would have to say what we see is lack of resources. Again
I want to point out, and I am going to get to answering specifically,
that while Head Start has expanded or tripled in the last 5 years,
and Early Head Start is steadily increasing, the people who worked
to help us make it work successfully, through whatever process you
are using to downsize Government, have more than decreased by
the same amount.

They both go hand in hand. I do not see how we can just talk
about expanding Early Head Start and doing what we do for Head
Start and not look at that, and just act like it does not exist. We
do not exist in a vacuum. And with Early Head Start in particular,
the liability and the credibility that we need in order to serve those
infants we'll need qualified people in those offices to help train and
to help monitor.

I listened, as I visited the Early Head Start training recently in
the District of Columbia, to the new grantees. A couple of people
who have been working in child care for years and Have grants,
talked about the vast difference in terms of the requirements and
what they have to do. And they were astonished at what they were
going to have to do, and they were willing to do it. But they were
talking about that need for that kind of one on one assistance or
good technical assistance from the Federal Government.

So I say that you just cannot talk about the program and what
we need to do. It also impacts the quality and how we need to do
it. We need to evaluate whether or not they have qualified staff
and resources to administer and set in place the evaluation of the
program.

Ms. DELAURO. There is also some understanding, and correct me
if I am wrong, of a shift to oversight, monitoring, and the training,
and technical assistance responsibilities for Early Head Start, to
decentralize if you will, to move from Washington to regional of-
ices.

Is this transition proceeding and is it going to work?

Ms. GREENE. It is proceeding, but you need more. It is almost
like in Head Start when we started yelling for years about the poor
quality. When we got additional children, all we were doing was
adding other responsibilities on top of existing staff, until through
the 1990 reauthorization, we started getting money for quality set-
aside. And years later, we started adding sufficient staff to do the

job.

It might be shifting to the regional offices some other place, but
I do not see new people coming in. I see adding additional respon-
sibilities. That is what program people see. That is why we feel we
need responses to our calls and to issues.

Ms. DeLauro. Olivia.

Ms. GOLDEN. Maybe I could speak a little bit to what our tech-
nical assistance strategy is, because I think that Congress made
some really important and helpful choices in the reauthorization.
And to me, it is critical to keep them in order to have quality sup-
port for Early Head Start.

There is a set-aside for training and technical assistance. So in
addition to our own staff, we do a great deal of our technical assist-
ance through contracts and grants with the experts in the field na-
tionwide.


101

There are two questions, Pat, I want to ask you. But I just want
to say that I think that fadeout is really kind of a false issue. And
I think that we can get the information to deal with that.

I think that there are two things that I need to know. First of
all, Jane told me 3 weeks ago that I should come to her Head Start
program, because they were seeing more severe problems among
their young kids than 5 years ago. And that they had many, many
more children who were involved with DCF than they ever had.
And that the service needs of these young children were much
greater than any previous population of Head Start, and that as we
reauthorize, that we have to address this.

I am very pleased that some of you say that we can cut special
ed costs if we do that. That will be a very powerful argument for
us. Because in this era of prevention and first causes, we can make
that argument.

But are you seeing that, what are the problems, what are the dif-
ferent resources you are going to need. Lisa had terrible cir-
cumstances to deal with, but they were a little different than sub-
stance abuse or physical abuse. So what are you seeing out there?

Before you answer, I do want to thank my colleague, Chris
Shays, for not only including small cities and large, but rural Con-
necticut. Because Pat Doolan has been a phenomenal leader out
there. And these problems in Litchfield County with transportation
and distance. The problems are not different, but the circumstances
are. So I am glad to have all of you here.

But if you could talk a little bit about the changed needs of the
children, I think that would be helpful.

Ms. DOoLaN. I just would very much like to speak to it. I have
been a Head Start director for only 4¥2 years. And when I first
came to Head Start, I began to notice so many children who were
being referred to DCF. We were seeing all kinds of problems and
issues I did not think children of 3 and 4 should be facing.

So we began to keep some statistics. And we have seen the refer-
rals to DCF grow by more than 50 percent in the last 4 years.

And I just have to relate a story to you that has absolutely blown
our program, not apart, but it was actually implosion. It brought
us all-much closer. We have a 3-year-old child who was just diag-
nosed 3 weeks ago as psychotic, and will be going to the Institute
of Living here in Hartford.

This was an enormous blow to the staff. We have had children
who have had mental health issues, and families who have had
mental health issues over time, and we have dealt with them. But
this has been an incredible experience for us. And it just sort of
seemed to peak for us on this piece.

We have been much more involved in the past year in referrals
to the school system for children who have special needs, physical,
emotional, speech and language. And one of the things that I think
is happening is that this is a benefit of the issue that our commu-
nities are beginning to recognize that it must be a community ap-
proach to working with these children and families, that Head
Start needs all of these folks working with us to assure that fami-
lies and children get the services that they receive.

I do not know where it is going. I do not know. I think that there
are lots of issues of why families are multistressed, but they are.


26

The emphasis of Early Head Start is on the successful development of infants and toddlers.
To assure that the infant has the needed stimulation during those firs critical days and
years of life, there needs to be an emphasis on the mental health of both the child and the
Parent. Infant mental health is about family mental health. Parental mental health is
essential for the child/parent bonding to take place. This successful bonding will then
provide the entrée into the family.

In Early Head Start there needs to be strong links between the mental health community
and the staff and parents of the program. The focus needs to be on the relationship
between the parent and the child, the parent and a caregiver and the caregiver and the
child. There needs to be strong loving connections in a nurturing environment.

In addition, there must be strong mental health support for caregivers in addition to the
parent(s) of the child. They need to have strong support in their work if they are to
provide comprehensive services and support for the child and the family.

The staff mental health has a strong tie to staff development. The quality of the program
is only as good as the quality of the staff. Early Head Start staff must have a spectrum of
skills so that they will be able to provide quality, comprehensive, family-centered services
to children and their families. By January 1999 all Early Head Start teachers must have a
CDA, AA or BA in Early Childhood, Infant Toddler. This presents some interesting
challenges. Very few colleges have this particular discipline. Programs will have difficulty
finding staff to meet these requirements. In addition, the field of early care and education
demands a great deal of the staff but salary is not commensurate with expectations. Many
Head Start staff is themselves eligible for Head Start services due to the low pay scale in
the field.

To maintain and continuously improve the quality of our programs, we must be ready to
invest in staff development. The Statement of the Advisory Committee on Services for
Families with Infant and Toddlers points out that_staff development of line staff and
supervisors should include training, mentoring, coaching and supervision. This staff
development will prepare staff to function as a part of an integrated team that includes
staff, parents and community partners,

‘What is critical to all of this is the fact that quality costs money. If we are to provide
quality, ongoing training for staff we must be ready to invest real dollars. When looking at
the cost of Early Head Start and even Head Start we must realize that we are really
looking at what is the cost per family not just the cost per child. The focus is always on
the child but we must recognize that every child is part of a family. We must never forget
that quality costs money whether we are talking about a child and his/her family or we are
talking about a car. Itis all about the investment that we are ready and willing to make.

‘The recent research on brain development supports the principals and comerstones of
Earty Head Start. Rima Shore in Rethinking the Brain states that throughout the entire
process of development, beginning even before the birth of the child, the environment

manda


22

I think that if we can move forward in that vein, that we will
be doing the job that we have been sent to do and meeting people’s
needs. I think that is what you would like to see us do.

Senator Dopp. Nancy mentioned the special ed, and I could not
agree with you more. About 4 years ago, I offered an amendment
to the Budget Committee. I lost on a tie vote, to get Federal special
education funding up to 40 percent. We are at 8 percent. We prom-
ised 40. It is creating a real rub in our local communities.

And even if we could say to them look, we cannot do this over-
night for you, but we can do it over 5 years or 6 years. Whatever
you have to work out actuarially or whatever you have to do to do
so, I think it would be a major step forward. It is a tragedy what
is going on.

We have small towns in the State where $100,000 goes for one
child in one town. And these kids need to be served. But asking
for the Federal Government to have a national policy on this where
we promised 40 percent and have only gotten up as high as 8 per-
cent, I think that we ought to do far better in that regard.

Thanks very, very much.

Mr. Suays. Senator, you started this hearing well, and we really
appreciate it. Thank you for all of your good work, and you truly
are a leader in this area. And we thank you for that as well.

Senator Dopp. Thank you, Chris.

Mr. Suays. We will begin our hearing with our panel. I will call
them up. In the order that I call them, they will be speaking. I
would invite them all to come up. As they know, they will be sworn
in. In the Government Reform Committee, we swear in all of our
witnesses who are part of our panels.

Our first panel includes Pat Doolan, chairman of the Connecticut
Head Start Association; Elaine Liberto, director, ABCD—Head
Start, Bridgeport, CT; Dona Ditrio, director, NEON Head Start,
Norwalk, CT;. Jane Norgren, executive director, the Child Care
Genter, Stamford, CT; and Lisa Sullivan, a parent, New London,

T.

Before I ask you to stand, let me just thank the clerk of our com-
mittee, Judy McCoy, who has come from Washington to help us
out. And our recorder, Fernando Mora. Our sound person, Brett
Geary. Our staff on the committee, Vincent Chase, who is on our
committee, and was a former State representative from Stratford
who I served with and Nancy did, as well. And Cherri Branson on
our committee staff, as well as Larry Halloran, our subcommittee
director. .

I thank them all for their help. And at this time, I would invite
you to stand, and I will swear you in.

[Witnesses sworn.]

Mr. Suays. I would note for the record that all responded in the
affirmative. And I guess that we are going to go this way. Let me
just say. You heard Members of Congress speak for more than 5
minutes. So I am going to extend the same privilege to all of you.
And I would say to you that we will give you a 5 minute light, and
we will extend the light another 5 minutes. If you would end some-
time between 5 and 10, that would be good.

The dialog that we would like between us I think would be help-
ful. And the dialog among you would be helpful. So your state-


105

Mrs. JOHNSON. Are you getting any technical assistance in un-
derstanding and being able to meet the standards?

Ms. NORGREN. We certainly have. We have been invited to na-
tional work shops. And they have been awe inspiring. They have
been scary, because it is a tremendous responsibility. We also have
had a tremendous amount of support from our regional office and
from educators. We have had some support from people who have
already been involved with Early Head Start in other regions. So
we are utilizing that help.

Ms. DeLauro. So in fact, we are looking at the ability to qualify
programs, in your view?

Ms. NorGRreEN. Yes.

Ms. DELAuRO. That is great.

Ms. DooLan. Just one other thing, if I might. There is available
to all Head Starts and Early Head Starts regional technical assist-
ance from EDC. They have the contract with the region to provide
technical assistance, training, and support to all of our programs.
And I know that I utilize it all of the time. And most of the people
that I do know who are Head Start directors utilize those services.

Ms. DELaAvuRO. Elaine, you talked about the absence of slots with
regard to Early Head Start, as I recall.

Why is it substantially more difficult for parents to find quality
care for infants and toddlers than for older kids? What are your
waiting lists looking like in terms of the infants and toddlers ver-
sus the older kids? Should we choose one or the other? Where are
we in this process here?

Ms. LIBERTO. The reason why we have such a need in Bridgeport
is that there are 7,000 people from that age group from 0 to 3. And
out of that, there are only 336 slots. So consequently, that is just
under 5 percent of the need that is met for Bridgeport, no matter
what type of slots they are. And out of that, Bridgeport, and our
ABCD being the largest child care provider, does not have any in
that age group. So we do not even keep a waiting list, because we
do not have the services quite honestly.

Parents find a tremendous need. And, of course, they are talking
about it more and more with the welfare reform, of where are they
going to put their child. And trying to get their children to three
different sections is not uncommon. They have to drop their child
where we are, and they have to drop their child at an infant place,
and they have to be ready for a school bus.

So just the amount of time that it takes them before they go to
work and come back puts such additional stress on their life, so
that right now we are even seeing the effects of that with our par-
ents.

Ms. DeLauro. If we were to expand, what direction would you
go in? Would you go for infants and toddlers, or slots for preschool,
or should we be choosing?

Ms. LiBeRTO. In Connecticut, the State of Connecticut, has just
allocated moneys through school readiness to meet a lot of the de-
mand for 3 to 5 year olds which existed before. So in Connecticut,
Bridgeport in fact just had 120 slots that we just filled for the 3
to 5 age group.

At this particular point, we should keep those slots there, and
keep Head Start there, but we should also now also start to expand


162

Though Early Head Start came into being only recently, with the 1994 reauthorization of
Head Start, the 1994 change in law merely formalized and extended services which the
program was already providing to infants and toddlers and their families. Head Start has a
ong and rich history of working with infants and toddlers in Comprehensive Child
Development Programs, Parent Child Centers, Migrant, and locally-designed Head Start
programs. Head Star, it should be pointed out, recognized the benefits of providing
services for infants and toddlers long before such thinking recently became popular.
the years, programs have creatively integrated services for infants and toddlers into ‘ter
daily routines. Today, we have a wonderfully promising Early Head Start program based
‘on a sound body of research and developed by a bipartisan panel. The problem is that it is
available to only a very few individuals.

IV. NHSA’s Position - Head Start 2s Seamless Birth to Compulsory
School Age Program

‘The National Head Start Association has pushed for many years to expand Head Start
services to more children from birth to three years of age. Though estimates vary, it is
clear that presently only fection ofthe children and families eligible to receive Early Head
Start services are being served. What is clear is that a quality early childhood development
experience is invaluable in terms of the child’s ability later to become a productive member
of society. Similarly, quality family development services are of inestimable value,
especially in today’s post-welfare reform environment, in preparing parents to return to or
enter the workforce. Head Start is unique in its ability to provide services to both children
and their families. It is high time that we took seriously the task of providing these services
to infants and toddlers on a national level.

‘Therefore, NHSA is requesting two things of this Congress.

1.’ Expand Early Head Start to allow each and every Head Start
program which can demonstrate a community need and which has the ability
to grow to serve infants and toddlers to serve that population.

2, Make Head Start a seamless birth to compulsory school age
program; and

There is no logic in applying arbitrary set-aside allowances to the Early Head Start
program. The existing 5% EHS set-aside has served the purpose of allowing the program
tobe successfully demonstrated. But the time for demonstration is over and the time for
expansion is here. From now on, the 5% allowance should serve as a minimum level for

funding. Beyond that, program growth should be limited only by the need for
services to infants and toddiers in each community.

Additionally, there is no justification for separating Early Head Start and “regular” Head
Start. This separation only adds complexity to service delivery and complicates transition
efforts. If we make Head Start a seamless program, children and families initially, then
society as a whole, will reap the rewards. This change is entirely in keeping with the
revised performance standards released recently by the Head Start Bureau.

Ist strange to suggest that Early Head Stat shoul be grown in such a potentially dramatic

fashion? The Head Start community thinks not. While NHSA recognizes that growing the
program beyond the existing 5%, even beyond the 10% which has been suggested by

Sonse members of Congress; wil require additional funding, rescarch clealy sed

repeatedly demonstrates that money invested now in quality early childhood and family

programs will pay large returns in future spending.


165

Mr. SHays. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to hear you.

Mr. Towns, you have the floor.

Mr. Towns. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Let me begin by thanking all of you for your testimony. I just
pave a few questions here that I just want to clear up in my own

ead.

What process has the administration used to award Early Head
Start grants?

Ms. GOLDEN. The process that we have used is national open
competition, to be able to identify the best programs. When Con-
gress enacted the Early Head Start initiative in 1994, one of the
things that Congress did was specify a competitive approach. And
there were really a couple of reasons for that. The biggest one was
finding the programs with the best experience, track record, and
opportunity to do quality services is important at any age. But it
is especially important for babies and toddlers given their vulner-
ability.

Congress wanted to assure quality. And Congress also wanted to
draw on the range of different programs that had experience with
babies and toddlers, some of them coming from the health arena,
some from Head Start, and some from other child care worlds.

So we had competitions. The winners of those competitions,
many in fact have been Head Start grantees, and others have been
health and mental health agencies, colleges and universities, a
range of programs.

Each year, we have had many more high quality applicants than
we were able to reach due to funding. And we are very grateful to
the Congress in terms of the resources that we have this year that
will let us get to some of those high quality programs that we have
missed before.

Mr. Towns. What type of agencies have become Early Head
Start grantees?

Ms. GOLDEN. A range of different programs. They are all local,
nonprofit, or public agencies with a history and experience with in-
fants and toddlers. The one that I visited last week called United
Cerebral Palsy has experience serving infants and toddlers with
disability related issues. You heard that the two Connecticut grant-
ees are Head Start programs.

We have a variety of community agencies, health and mental
health organizations, universities and colleges. So really quite a
range of programs with very rich experiences.

Mr. Towns. I think that I am going to direct this to you, Mr.
Zigler, and get your comments on it first. Some people have com-
plained about the fadeout effect of Head Start.

What role do you believe that schools and other societal factors
may have on producing that effect?

Dr. ZIGLER. I think that it is expecting too much of a 1-year pro-
gram like Head Start to guarantee the well functioning of the child
throughout the child’s school experiences. We have some very good
studies done by Dr. Lee at the University of Michigan that dem-
onstrates that Head Start children go on average to very poor
schools, very poorly functioning schools. You woul expect fadeout.

If Head Start gets the child up to the starting line OK, and they
hit essentially a very poor performing school, that is where fadeout


169

ble existing Head Start programs. And we are many, many thou-
sands of children away from doing that.

I cite an example of the 1995 appropriations where for almost 7
months Head Start programs operated with a 4-percent cut, be-
cause there was a proposal to actually cut Head Start by that
amount. And we ended up that year with really flat funding, with
no increase.

And the way the law is currently written, had Congress not, at
the very last minute, added the $36 million needed for the 4-per-
cent set-aside for Early Head Start, the present program would
have received an actual cut.

So while we commend and see the need to enhance and expand
the programs, it has to be done in a way that does not diminish
from the present program and the commitment to that program.

Mr. Towns. Yes, Dr. Zigler.

Dr. ZIGLER. I would like to speak to that, because it is a very im-
portant issue, especially early in the game, as to how we concep-
tualize Early Head Start and how it fits into the Head Start effort.

It is not very well known by many people, but Head Start has
a very long tradition as a national laboratory for early childhood.
There is a fact that people do not want to really confront. And that
fact is that 0 to 3 in this country, child care in particular, is really
in a very sad state.

Just to give you one number. In a four-State cost/quality outcome
study, we found that 40 percent of infants and toddlers in child
care were in care that was so poor in quality, that the children,
never mind optimum development, their safety and health were
put at risk. Unfortunately, one of those States was Connecticut.

I say this because in addition to mounting an important Head
Start Program, from day one, and I was there, Head Start has al-
ways committed itself to trying new programs to be at the cutting
edge.

Right now, the Nation very badly needs a demonstration of how
programs for 0 to 3 should look, because there are so many bad
programs.

So, over the years, Head Start has mounted Home Start, which
worked and was expanded, CDA, family resource centers, on and
on and on. I think that Early Head Start ought to be viewed not
as a huge new program. In terms of its size and the numbers that
you are dealing with, it is not huge. We are not talking anywhere
near the 750,000 children that are in Head Start.

The way to approach Early Head Start is as a very important ex-
perimental effort to see if you can monitor programs, and so that
you demonstrate to the entire Nation what a good program for in-
fants and toddlers would look like. And given the kind of money
that is committed to it, that is really the way to do it.

And obviously, if you can demonstrate great success, then the
Nation may want to take the next step, and really go after a very
serious expansion of the kind that Sarah mentioned. But that is
premature. Right now, the big program and the one that we must.
protect and expand, as is written in the new budget program, is
Head Start. And mount this very important experience, and do it
very, very well. Evaluate it, and then see what the next step might
be.


34

Bridgeport’s children run a one-in-five chance of being born to a teen mother,
twice that for the state as a whole. According to Bridgeport’s Department of Health, in
1994, there were 451 babies born to teen mothers, 228 babies born with low birthweight
and 47 babies born with very low birthweight - these negative outcomes are all ones
addressed by the Early Head Start performance standards. .

Welfare and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

In Bridgeport, there were 18,616 AFDC recipients in 1996. Connecticut now has
one of the nation's most stringent plans for reforming Aid to Families with Dependent
Children (AFDC). Time limits for receiving AFDC were implemented in January, 1996,
mandating a 21-month limit for employable recipients. Beginning in October 1997,
Connecticut's first welfare recipients began loosing benefits as their cases came up for
renewal. With every month after October, thousands of former-welfare families faced
the months ahead without financial security unless they had become employed or entered
recognized training program. All able-bodied adults are expected to find jobs, this, in a
region where high skilled technical jobs are plentiful but high skilled workers are not.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services estimated that approximately 25,000
new families receiving public assistance will need child care over the next two years
(DSS, 1997).

‘According to the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition, “studies show that
children from low-income families who participate in quality early childhood programs
are less likely to repeat a grade, be referred for special education or become teen parents,
and more likely to graduate from high school, be employed and have higher incomes than
their peers who did not attend such programs.” Bridgeport , however, has no Early Head
Start programs.

Recent statistics from ABCD's Head Start parent data showed that nearly 70
percent receive some form of public or governmental assistance. Only 24% of ABCD's
child care parents were working full-time in 1996. Another 16% were in training, and a
fall 70% of the unemployed parents were looking for work.

Since the advent of welfare reform, ABCD's staff is observing an increase in
stress experienced by parents as they struggle with the requirements of work and child
care, particularly among those parents least well equipped to command a living wage.
‘Single mothers are particularly vulnerable. Staff are alert to suicidal ideation and must

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 5



175

year, we are also expecting that we will do an additional competi-
tion this year.

And just to give you a flavor of the pace of expansion, as you
think about that, in the first year, 1995, we distributed grants to
serve about 18,000 children. This year it will be 39,000. And in the
President’s proposal, by the year 2002, would seek to double that
again to almost 80,000 children. So that is the scale of the expan-
sion that we are proposing.

Mr. Towns. Would the gentlelady yield?

Ms. DELauRO. Sure.

Mr. Towns. What we are hearing though around the country is
that even when people find out that the application has been ap-
proved, they are saying that there is not enough time to do the
kind of planning that needs to take place in order to have a quality
program. In other words, to have the kind of teachers in place, the
facility, and all the kind of things that you need to have in order
to hit the ground running and running right.

In other words, it is like starting a football team without a uni-
form. You know, you have to go buy a uniform and do all kinds of
things to get the team on the field.

And they are saying that a lot of time goes into that. Where in
all of that time, you should have been able to do that before the
funding. So that it would not cut into the kind of programs and the
kinds of things that you need to do to be able to be successful. That
is what we are hearing as we move around the country.

Ms. GOLDEN. That is useful, and it may be worth doing some
thinking about solutions to it. I do think that one of the things that
we have learned is that programs have a lot more of that kind of
planning and preparing to do than they thought they did. Pro-
fans p have a year of planning and implementation time after the

There are a couple of things that could be behind that concern.
One thing could be that they are feeling enormous pressure to get
up to speed. And a second thing, which I think is behind it for
some programs, is that even for very high quality programs, as you
heard from the earlier panelists who had an Early Head Start Pro-
gram, the standards will stretch us even though we are already at
accreditation.

Other programs have said to me that it is not just that the
standards will stretch us, it is that parents’ lives have changed
since we wrote the application, so we have to deal with more work-
ing parents.

&S one of the things that I think may be happening is that after
programs get the money, they have more new things to deal with
than they thought. But I think that we probably should hear from
you specific concerns, so we can see if there is a way to address
it. It sounds like something that we should deal with.

Mr. Towns. Thank you for yieldin; g

Mr. Suays. I am listening to all of you. And it is confirmed when
I look at all of you and think of your backgrounds. You all have
kind of a diverse approach to this. I mean you have different re-
sponsibilities. Joyce Thomas has to implement welfare reform and
how it plays into this. And I do not want to miss an opportunity
to pursue a few points here with you.


115

Mr. SHays. But it seems to me that one of the things that we
should be testing is the advantage of an 8-month program versus
the advantage of an 11-month program.

And does fadeout not become an issue under those cir-
cumstances?

Ms. NorGRreEN. I think that it certainly becomes an issue, and I
think that it is even more of an issue for special needs children.
Because if they are not being stimulated for those 3 months, then
it is a tremendous loss. That is a real issue.

You had said that if it does not involve parents it is a bad pro-
gram. I would say that it is a program that is not working, that
is not meeting its goals. Because the major goal is to work with the
parents.

Mr. Suays. I could have asked it a different way. Is the program
better? What I want to understand is I am leaving with the view
that this is a deal with the child and the parent. When Senator
Dodd stated about that the parent is No. 1, it seems to me that
Head Start and Early Head Start flies into that and involves the
parent.

Ms. SULLIVAN. Head Start cannot operate without the parents.
Head Starts help plan around budget programming all the way
down to what kind of curriculum that there is going to be in the
classroom, down to what activities parents are going to do during
parent meetings, to who is hired in the program. So Head Starts
cannot operate without parent involvement. So there has to be
some level of parent involvement for a Head Start program to exist.

A policy council chair, which is usually a Head Start parent or
a community representative, has to sign off on a Head Start grant.
So it cannot happen without parents of children who are involved
in the program.

Mr. BAYS. Let me just add two other things. One is the issue
of how quickly a community can absorb a program and get into op-
eration. Sometimes we in Government can throw too much money
too quickly, and then we do not get the quality that we want.

Maybe you are not able to answer that question now. But we
need to get an answer for this committee on how quickly we should
be trying to get up to full funding. If we did it tomorrow, Af we did
it in 1 year, we would not see the quality that we would need.

Would you agree with that?

Ms. NoRGREN. We would not have the staff.

Ms. LIBERTO. Or the licensable space. And the Head Start money
up front to pay for one time to get it licensable.

Mr. Suays. But if you knew what to plan on, if you had a 5-year
plan, and you knew that you were going to get so much each year.

Ms. NorGreEn. Your planning time is important.

Mr. SHays. One last question. Describe for me as succinctly as

ou can the difference between Early Start and Head Start. There
has got to be a difference.

Does Early Start involve the parent more than Head Start?

Ms. NorGREN. Early Start is starting with the parent, because
we are starting with the pregnant mom.

Mr. SuHays. So our contact is first with the parent with Early
Start, and with Head Start it may be more with the child?

Ms. NorGREN. No, no.


136

its work participation rates for this fiscal year that just ended. And
believe me, they were not easy to do. But we have done that, and
we are pretty proud of that.

Mr. Suays. That is called lobbying the process.

Ms. THomMaS. We have met that rate.

We will spend here in the State of Connecticut approximately
$153 million in the area of early care and education here in this
State. That does not include the Head Start dollars. Those are dol-
lars that come through our CDBG, comes through our social serv-
ices block grant, and comes through State expenditures.

Our Governor has made a strong commitment to this whole area
of child care, moving from $28 million in State fiscal year 1995 to
$153 million in State fiscal year 1998. So our commitment to early
care and education is very, very strong in this State.

I would like to talk with you just a little bit about some of our
thinking around our school readiness pieces. About 3 weeks ago, I
had the opportunity and good fortune to sit in on a panel with the
First Lady Hillary Clinton, along with Dr. Zigler.

I was pleased that much of what was included in the President’s
proposal included much of what we have been doing here in the
State of Connecticut. To put it simply, our goal here in the State
of Connecticut is to provide full year high quality child care that
develops healthy and school ready children, not just for traditional
preschoolers but for all children. And our efforts have been aimed
at doing that.

I think that the research is really clear in that area. We certainly
are aware that we must begin in infancy. And we certainly must
be aware that there must be a commitment on the part of the State
and a commitment on the part of the Federal Government to make
that occur.

The whole approach to child care, I think that we have affirmed
in the State of Connecticut is that we need to look at the entire
child. We cannot build strong families and independent families, if
a child is not really physically healthy. It is a critical piece of what
we do.

The title XXI bill that was passed, the health care bill for chil-
dren. Connecticut has actually moved forward and implemented
that particular piece of it. Our particular piece here in the State
of Connecticut offers some very different pieces including making
sure that our title XXI health care for uninsured kids links with
our child care and early care programs. That is a very critical piece
for our State.

I also would like for you to know that in terms of corroboration,
I think that corroboration is going to be absolutely critical as we
move forward and take a look at one, whether you expand the early
Head Start Program, that as you expand and reauthorize the Head
Start Program.

In the State of Connecticut, we have taken a number of pages
from the booklet of the Head Start Program, in promoting acces-
sible and quality child care. Our school readiness initiatives include
our own department of social services, the office of the Governor,
and other public and private entities. Our Head Start and school
readiness programs actually require that parents are involved and


177

So I am just basically backing up that point of there being a win-
dow. What I am confused about, and now I have a better sense of
why we focus on fadeout, is the basic concept that 1 year is really
8 months, is it not, or 9 months?

Dr. ZIGLER. Nine months.

Mr. SHAYS. So it is not even a year. It is 9 months. And we know
that they have got Head Start when they start, but is that long
enough to maintain. And I just think that you do not have to be
a rocket scientist or need a lot of studies to know that is not
enough time.

So where am I headed here? Where I am headed is, as I was lis-
tening to Rosa, that she is right. We have a window of opportunity
if we do it right. And so maybe I will just throw it open to you.

Ms. THOMAS. I am dying to say something.

Mr. SHAYS. Go for it.

Ms. THoMaS. I think that the thing that I want to say is I think
that the window of opportunity is here and it is now. I think that
we really have to take advantage of it. And I think that there are
factors that are pushing it. And it is indeed the fact that there is
welfare reform here in this country nationwide.

Connecticut’s experience in moving forward with our own pieces
of school readiness legislation that dramatically changes the way
that we are providing services here in this State was driven by a
number of facts. One, the brain information that we had. The data
were coming out, and lots of people were talking about that. T'wo,
we have families who are getting ready to reach the end of the 21-
month time limit. And folks are concerned about making sure that
their kids are in quality care kind of situations.

But I will caution you that we did not just start that process in
Connecticut. We have been working on that process for almost 3
years. The Commission on Children has been involved with that,
in terms of talking about what it is going forward that we are
going to need to do to meet the needs of children, and to meet the
needs of working parents.

So it is not anything that I would say is actually going to happen
overnight. I think that we are going to need to address this issue.
I think that the first time around that we will not get everything
that we want for Early Head Start. But I think that coming back
that we may get the additional services that we need to get for it.

But I think that clearly that welfare reform is driving a lot of
this. We know that temporary family assistance families, that all
of them are eligible for the Head Start Program. So we are talking
about the same population.

There is another piece that I think we need to consider when we
are talking about priorities. And that is I think that there will be
some questions regarding priorities. There will be questions regard-
ing whether you put additional funding toward Head Start, or
whether you put additional funding toward Early Head Start, or
whether you put additional dollars into the whole area of CDBG.

There are going to be some real considerations for that. Because
frankly, I do not think, and it has not been my experience in this
area, that anything is going to be fully funded to the extent that
any of us are going to be very happy about. It is just really not


Attachment 3
A Personal Account of Head Start's Impact
Marge Powell


112

Ms. DOOLAN. I cannot tell you that without going back and reall:
doing a count. One of the things that I could offer you is throug!
the association that we could get you those statistics by going and
speaking to each of the Head Start programs in Connecticut, and
we could get you that information.

Mr. SHays. Why do we not do that. I would like that, Pat. Thank
you.

Elaine.

Ms. LIBERTO. If you can extrapolate some of the figures. But
7,000 people are in that age group. If a third are living in poverty
or whatever, you could start to extrapolate different things. But we
would have to do more research. And that is for the Early Head

tart.

Mr. Suays. That is 7,000 total from 0 to 3?

Ms. LIBERTO. All slots from zero to three, right.

Mr. SHays. And a third are in poverty?

Ms. LiBERTO. Right.

Mr. SHays. Of those 2,500, how many are you serving?

Ms. LIBERTO. Zero. We have none.

Mr. Suays. In Head Start?

Ms. LIBERTO. ABCD has 437. And there is another person in
Bridgeport, the Neighborhood House, which has about 100 or so.

Mr. Suays. And how many do you think would be eligible?

Ms. LiBERTO. A couple hundred. Because of School Readiness,
there is still about 3,000 that are still eligible. I have to check it.
Because School Readiness has not impacted that group, and I do
not know what is remaining.

Mr. SHays. Excuse me for calling you by your first name, but it
is quicker that way if I do that. Dona.

Ms. Ditrio. When I did the research for the School Readiness
grant in Norwalk, it was estimated that about 400 or more children
between 3 and 5 would be eligible for public assistance or low in-
come.

Mr. Suays. For Head Start?

Ms. DiTRIo. For Head Start. And I do not have the figures for
Early Head Start. But I can tell you that just on the number of
teen parents at Briggs High School, that you have 75.

Mr. SHays. Jane.

Ms. NorGREN. I think it is the same story. We had 400 who were
eligible for the 3 to 5. So I am assuming that we must have at least
400. We are going to currently be serving 60. So that will be our
first start. Through the department of social services, we have all
of these figures. So we can get them to you by age level.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Let me just ask a question.

Mr. Suays. Sure.

Mrs. JOHNSON. As you get the figures, we need to know how
many children who are eligible for Head Start are served, and how
many who are not served are being served by Even Start which is
another Federal program, how many are being served by the State
early childhood programs, and how many are being served by the
block grant voucher program through which then parents would be
paying for their day care in those situations.

So there are a variety of programs, and we need to know who
is being served by what for a start. But one of the things that has


16

males do not take an active parenting role because of a lack of
information. Levine’s (1993) research regarding constraints for
male involvement found fathers’ fears of exposing inadequacies,
ambivalence of program staff members about father involvement,
gate keeping by mothers and inappropriate program design and
delivery as causes for non-involvement. Research supports that
male involvement, (specially the style of interaction), has positive
effects regarding the child’s social adjustment. Research supports
how men relate to children is influenced by how they feel about
their role, how others perceive them and whether or not they have
a support system. By developing a father or male friendly
environment, children will grow up feeling comfortable with what
society has determined as appropriate behavior for men and
women (sex role development, easy social adjustment and
increased cognitive development). Teen mothers will benefit from
male involvement because there will be opportunity for dialogue to
reduce tensions and develop mutual understanding. The burden for
child(ren) rearing will be shared.

Existing support services for teen parents are fragmented and
limited due to funding availability. Infant and toddler care
necessary for the teen parent to complete high school is almost
non-existent.

There is one (1) public assistance child and 11 non-public
assistance children competing for one licensed infant/toddler slot.
Transportation cost and time available are even more limiting.

This initiative with teen parents embraced the current thinking
regarding the stages of child development and brain research.
Birth to 3 is the time for optimum physical growth and
socioemotional development.

Our research demonstrates that the national effort to address long
term development and support for children from Birth to 3 as well


REFERENCES

Department of Health and Human Services (1994). The Statement of the Advisory
Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers. Department of Health and
Human Services.

Ramey, S.L. & Ramey, C.R. Early educational intervention with disadvantaged children-to
what effect? Applied and Preventive Psychology, in press.

Sameroff, A.J.(1993). Models of development and developmental risk. In C.H. Zeanah, Jr.
Handbook of Infant Mental Health, 3-13. New York: The Guilford Press.

Shore, R. (1997). Rethinking the Brain: New Insights into Early Development. New
York: Families and Work Institute.

Mnf


94

I have now gone on to become a consultant with the Dept. of Health and
Human Services Head Start Burean conducting federal programs reviews(
OSPRI’s), and doing other various parent involvement consulting with early
childhood programs throughout New England. I have also had many
opportunities to speak nationally about welfare reform, parental involvement
and program governance. I have been part of local, state, regional and
national initiatives related to early care and education and truly have
developed into a respected professional.

Head Start has provided me with many mentors, role models, and people
who have realized and believed in my potential. Head Start has made me
who I am today, and has truly become my family’s foundation. They have
given me more in a few short years, than I could have ever imagined.
Research about the effects of Head Start has always been debated, but I’m
here today, and my family is only one out of thousands from across the
country that would have been able to come and testify about about their life
changing experiences because of there involvement in a Head Start program.
This past year has only proven to be a continuation of my prior successes.
John has been attending the Regional Multicultural Magnet School in New
London, and we have not needed to address issues concerning fade-out. He
is attending 2” grade, and is still continuing to succeed. I have been taught
well by the nation most successful educational experiment, and I will carry
those teachings into my public school. I have become empowered enough to
ensure that my child receives the best quality education possible, and I am
confident that he will continue to strive because of my involvement.

1 do realize however that being a part of a school that accepts parents as
partners make all the difference in the world. My son’s school values the
involvement of parents and parents are welcome into the classroom at all
times. There is an open door policy at his school. The Regional Multicultural
Magnet school has a Head Start model approach to parental involvement.
Many public schools are far from receiving parents as partners, and it is truly
unfair to hold Head Start responsible for traditional public schoo! philosophy
and the issues of fade-out. We all know that children succeed when both the
family and school are involved with the child. Whether my involvement is at
home or in the school, John will continue to succeed because of my
influence.


9

Mr. Suays. Thank you, Mr. Towns.

At this time, I will call on my colleague, Nancy Johnson.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Thank you very much, Chris.

Let me take a moment to pay tribute to one of the State’s really
remarkable leaders of Head Start, Jane Johnson of New Britain,
who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly about 10 days ago.

Jane was a truly remarkable human being in her own personal
right. When Head Start was first founded, she was one of the first
Head Start moms. She moved on to become an assistant teacher.
She moved on years later to become the director of the program.
And as director for many years in New Britain, she was one of the
people that I would consider a creative bureaucrat.

And I say that with love and affection and enormous respect. Be-
cause she taught me how profoundly important it is to have sys-
tems that keep quality on the top of the agenda. That quality is
what Head Start was all about, quality care for children, quality
care guidance for mothers, quality support for families.

And in fact, she died only 2 days before a meeting that we had
arranged for me with other Head Start directors and our own pro-
fessional staff to acquaint me with the new problems that they are
now seeing amongst our Head Start kids that mean that once
again we need to take this reauthorization very seriously, because
there are problems now that were not part of the picture the last
time that were reauthorized. And we need to think through again
what it is that we need to give these kids the kind of start that
they deserve.

Ed Towns, welcome to Connecticut. And your point that these
kids still live in difficult circumstances with a lot of problems in
every day of their life cannot be missed, as we seek to provide them
with the right kind of support and start in those very early years

re-Head Start, through Head Start, and then on into school, and
Ekewise for their mothers and the whole family.

I just want to say that Jane Johnson was one of those remark-
able but not unique people in Head Start. Because I know of no
more dedicated group than the Head Start leaders in the State,
dedicated to the Federal role in modeling the high quality forward
thinking program that Head Start has always been. But willing
also to find a way around the bureaucratic barriers that often exist
to getting real needs met in an immediate timeframe, and then
helping us to change the law, to reach out more effectively and to
provide this program as a strong, and effective, and modern re-
sponsive program for children and families in Connecticut.

And I just want to say to you, Jane, thank you. And to all of
those who worked with Jane and knew her well, we appreciated all
your letters of support and the elegant statements of love, and tes-
timony, and honoring that came from you during her very beautiful
service in memory. Thank you very much.

And Chris, it is a pleasure to be here. I associate myself with
your excellent opening remarks. And I thank you all.

Mr. Suays. Thank you, Nancy.

And I will now call on Rosa DeLauro. It is nice to have you here.

Ms. DeLauro. Thank you. Thanks so much. I want to begin by
saying thank you to my friend and my colleague, Chris Shays, for
inviting me to join in this effort this morning, which is a very excit-


1

as their families will be welcomed in many communities across the
nation.

10


83

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges, Testimony of Jane F, Norgren
February 19, 1997, page 4

Providing such efforts is not easy, and I’m sorry to say it is not inexpensive
— at least, not in the short run. Giving these young children appropriate and
significant Early Head Start care and education greatly diminishes their need
for government programs in the future, and, as I've noted, allows their
parents to become tax-paying wage earners.

As such, the Early Head Start program works hand-in-hand with the
recent welfare reforms to help give the neediest of the needy the lasting
Opportunity to get off the welfare track and offer fulfilling lives to their
children.

Again, I thank you for the opportunity to address you this moming. I
would be pleased to answer any questions.


5

Mr. Suays. And at this time, I would call on Mr. Towns.

Mr. Towns. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And let me
begin by thanking you for holding this hearing today. It is a pleas-
ure to be here in Norwalk, CT, and to be joined by Senator Dodd
and Congresswoman Nancy Johnson and Congresswoman Rosa
DeLauro.

Each year, almost 1 million children from low income families
enter school for the first time. Some of these children will be pre-
pared for the school experience, because of experiences provided by
parents, private preschool, and enrichment programs. Other chil-
dren, because of poverty and social isolation, may have difficulty in
school. Head Start was founded on the premise that one day these
two sets of children will live in the same society, and should share
the same opportunities.

Through Head Start, preschool preparation assures that poor
children will start out on a level educational playing field. In the
past 30 years, the program has served almost 16 million children.
Children in Head Start receive comprehensive early childhood de-
velopment, educational, health, nutritional, social and other serv-
ices.

By concentrating on the four major program components of edu-
cation, health, parental involvement, and social services, Head
Start attempts to assist low income preschool children in over-
coming these deficits associated with their backgrounds.

The national average Head Start cost per child is about $4,500.
In 1996, Head Start served 752,000 children. In recent years, con-
cerns have been expressed about the quality of services and the
program’s potential for sustaining positive effects over the long
term.

In its 1994 reauthorization amendments, it was included to in-
crease standards. Monitoring requirements, staffing qualifications,
and research activities. Additionally, there is widespread agree-
ment and statistical support for the position that Head Start pro-
duces significant short-term goals.

However, disagreement continues over the program’s long-term
effects. Children who attended Head Start had certain benefits.
Generally, they were not required to repeat early grades, nor were
they placed in special education classes. However, these benefits
disappeared by the fourth grade.

Some people wonder why these benefits are not sustained in the
long run. Well, to me, the answer to this question is no great mys-
tery. Head Start serves the poorest of the poor. In 1997, 64 percent
of Head Start families had income under $9,000 per year. Let me
repeat that, under $9,000 per year.

So Head Start does not remove children from poverty or environ-
ments in which poverty exists. Therefore, children who graduate
from Head Start will still be faced with poor nutrition and poor
health care.

These children will attend schools with inadequate space, staff,
and equipment. Those children are poor. They will be faced with
overt or implicit expectations of low educational attainment. It may
not be realistic to expect that a few years of Head Start will over-
come all of these things.


lil

Issues (continued)

Issue 3: There is an increased need for high-quality, developmentally appropriate,
affordable, accessible, group care and educational programs for preschoo
children.

Participation Rate

{In 1990, about one-third of poor preschool-aged children, nationally, participated in preschool. About
35 percent of all poor 3- and 4-year-olds participated in preschool compared with over 60 percent of
the highest income 3- and 4-year-olds. Preschool participation rates for poor 3-and 4 year-olds were
consistently low, no state had preschool participation rates of above 45 percent. Further, poor pre-
school-aged children in rural areas participated at even lower rates—about 30 percent.

For example, only 33% of poor children eligible for Head Start in Connecticut actually partici-
pate. Head Start enrolls approximately 6,000 children in Connecticut. Head Start’s hours of opera-
tion often don’t meet parents’ needs. Few Head Start programs operate all day or all year, making it
difficult for parents to work full-time. Programs typically offer half-day services to children. In-
creasingly, full-day, year-round slots are being supported through state dollars administered through
the Department of Education. A substantial proportion of the problem is lack of money and facilities
required to serve all children in programs that meet the needs of today’s families.

In 1995, Connecticut's Strategic School Profiles reported that 66.8% of new kindergarten registrants
statewide had been enrolled in a preschool program. In the five most needy cities, only 45.2% re-
ported having had a preschool experience.

Availability of Programs

Connecticut's towns, especially the five most needy towns, are lacking in the quantity of licensed
child care slots required :o meet the needs of working families. The following chart compares avail-
able slots to needed slots for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds in Connecticut's five most needy towns.

Preschool Slots in Licensed Child Care Centers for Children
Towns: Slots Available’ Cohort Requirement**
{Hor 3, 4,5 Year Olds in Towns)
Bridgeport 2,167 8297
Hartford 2,631 8,952
New Britain 880 3,526
New Haven 1,672 6,702
Waterbury 17m 6,001
TOTAL 8572 3478
(Based on five bits data in identified towns)

‘Statewide 51,656 licensed child care slots are available for preschool chitdren and children requiring after school care.
“Source: Child Day Care Council, State of Connecticut, “Child Care Report Card”, January 1996

** Source: Connecticut Department of Public Health

20 Early Childhood Agenda


81

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges, Testimony of Jane F. Norgren
February 19, 1997, page 2

environments, both in their neighborhood and within their own family. The
stress of this family life will have a permanent negative impact on infants,
toddlers and pre-schoolers without professional caring support and
intervention.

Itis not our desire to see our children become “part of the system’ for life,
or even for the duration of their childhood. Our job is to equip our children
with the social skills they need to succeed and to help give their families the
opportunity to improve their economic condition.

Toddlers receive the benefit of a head start education and the nutritional
and health experiences that are part and parcel of the Child Care Center. Their
parents learn how to nurture their children while receiving the time that is
necessary to acquire the literacy and life skills needed to find lasting
employment. All parents have the opportunity to become the type of parents
they need to be, that they truly want to be.

We feel it is extremely significant to note that, because of our experience,
families of children in our Early Head Start program will be unlikely to move
into the regular Head Start program. This is for the simple reason that they
will no longer qualify as their parents will be doing better economically. We
envision children moving from Early Head Start to our regular
comprehensive day care program.

While this is no “rags-to-riches” story, this is a win in everybody's
column.

We have served children under three since 1985. These graduates of our
infant programs have done very well; a much higher percentage go into
gifted programs in school. They are better at interacting with other children,
and they are far better at language skills. Quite simply, these children can
identify and give name to their surroundings. They can communicate their
thoughts and feelings to each other and to adults.

All of our children are read to - even by each other - and they are read to
constantly. As we know, children who are read to become readers
themselves, and readers excel.

We are all familiar with the principle of “fade out,” in which the benefits
received by children in a Head Start program tend to dissipate after several
years of traditional schooling. The schools must be encouraged to provide
programs that meet the students needs, taking advantage of the Head Start
they've received.




107

Ms. Ditrio. I would say that Pat is right, that infant and toddler
care is expensive. And in Connecticut, we have some very well de-
veloped licensing regulations that help maintain quality of services
for infant and toddler care. And the ratio is one adult to every four
infants or toddlers.

And I think that is critical. Because when you are working with
infants and toddlers, it is not just changing the diaper, feeding the
child, and the child sleeps. We are talking about emerging literacy.
We are talking about reading. We are talking about playing with
children. There is more to taking care of infants and toddlers than
what I think people want to look at.

Ms. DELauRO. That is the point that I want to make.

Is part of that cost and that expense, from a different set of
training, if you will, for the person who is in the setting with in-
fants and toddlers compared to those that are with 3 to 4 year
olds?

And obviously, we believe that there is a need to have that addi-
tional training, that you have to then build in for.

Ms. Dirrio. I think that all staff, whether they are with infants
and toddlers, or preschool children, they really have to have a
strong background in child development, and understand how chil-
dren develop in all of the domains, not just cognitively or phys-
ically. And we need to remember that children develop at their own
pace, and may be at various benchmarks depending on their life ex-
periences and how they are developing.

I also know that in Norwalk that the NEON child development
program, which is a State-funded program, has over 200 people on
the waiting list waiting for toddler care. They do not do infant care.

And I am getting calls from parents who are now pregnant want-
ing to be on the waiting list for preschool programs, which before
was unheard of.

Ms. NorGREN. We do serve infants, and we receive about six
calls a day from parents who are looking for infant care or toddler
care. The cost of care in Stamford is approximately $225 per week.
So when people are talking about expense, that is expensive. That
is expensive for a middle-income person. That is expensive for any-
one. So a subsidized program like Early Head Start is mandatory,
if we are going to serve people who are in that $9,000 range per
year. That has all gone into child care, 100 percent.

Licensing is an issue. And I think that we would really plead for
having a greater number of adults with a child, let’s say one to
three rather than one to four. When we started, we had a terrific
care giver who had four babies all the same age. She told us that
she could not do the job that she was hired to do. I think that any
of us could identify with that. If we were one parent with one child,
imagine having four.

Ms. DeLauro. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Suays. Thank you.

Let me ask some questions. I would like to go through very
quickly. I want to know how many are eligible in the areas that
you serve for Head Start, and how many are eligible for Early
Head Start.

Now do we have statistics on Early Head Start, who would be
eligible and who gets it, or is it too soon to know?


92

John participated in the Early Intervention program until he turned three.
John would leave Early Intervention label free. I was elated to learn that EIV
had felt that John’s development had sky rocketed, and there would be no
need for a special education preschool referral. There truly was a miracle
happening right before my eyes. After running on a high so long, it all began
to catch up with me. I found myself emotionally drained and lacking the
self-confidence I had once remembered having years before.

We had come a long way in three years, and this next transition was going to
become critical for John’s continued success. I was determined to transition
John into a preschool program in which we could continue monitoring his
development while allowing John to become more socially active with other
children his age.

I thought that this was going to be an easy task, but leamed quickly, that
because of my low income, it was going to be hard locating an affordable
preschool program.

John began attending the Connecticut College Special Needs program as a
peer to children with disabilities as I continued my search. John was able to
attend their program free of charge because he was there as a typical peer.
John was now on the other side of the road. He was being recognized for his
gains and not his special needs. Although he was still being identified as an
at risk child because of his health condition, he seemed to continue to
flourish in that situation. Shortly after John started attending CT College, I
‘was approached by the staff there and asked if I would like to learn about the
Thames Valley Council for Community Action Head Start program.
TVCCA Head Start had a classroom onsite and they thought due to my low
income and my families continuing need for intervention we would be
eligible for the program. I learned about TVCCA Head Start’s unique home-
based option and was captured when they explained the comprehensive
services that would be available to my family.

John entered Head Start when he was three, and I was excited about the
opportunity to provide John with the continuity of care he had been
receiving through the Early Intervention program. We would receive home
visits as we had in EIV, and | was elated to find out that the home-based
option focused on both the parent and the child, realizing that the parent is
the child’s first and most important teacher. EIV had been primarily child
focused.


180

Mr. Towns. On the chart of cases with earnings, I notice that
you upped about 24,000, and all of a sudden there was a dip of
22,000.

Is there any reason for that?

Ms. THOMAS. That they will stay on and work, and earn money.
And when they reach the end of their time limit with the cash that
they have from earnings, they go off of cash assistance. That is why
the numbers on welfare working are going down, because they are
actually going off of welfare right now into the labor market where
we want them to be.

Mr. Towns. The other question just for my own clarity, I do not
know what could be done or said at this time, but as I understand
it, part of the Head Start funding formula is based on welfare re-
cipient numbers within a State. With welfare reform, this formula
will need probably to be changed. So I guess if you cannot do it
today, I would welcome, Mr. Chairman, some suggestions in writ-
ing as to what we might be able to do, because all of these things
are really connected, I mean very much so, as I understand it. I
hope that I am understanding it right.

's. GOLDEN. The formula right now in Head Start is an issue
that Congress may choose to address in reauthorization. Congress
will not have to address it. Because in fact, an amendment chang-
ing AFDC to TANF in the Head Start legislation happened in one
of the technical corrections bills. So it will be a choice whether Con-
gress wants to address the formula or not, and we are looking at
that right now as we look at the issues.

So we will be eager to work with the Congress in the reauthor-
ization on that issue, and provide any information that you find
useful.

Mr. Towns. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. SHays. Rosa.

Ms. DELAuRO. I just want to make one comment. I guess that
I do not believe that the pressure to deal with Head Start and ex-
panding Head Start, and trying to move to expand Early Head

tart, moving cautiously to do that, is welfare driven. I guess that
I do not believe that. I believe that is a piece of it.

I think that what Head Start has demonstrated to us, even with
some of the difficulties, what Head Start has demonstrated in
terms of the opportunity for children being ready to be in school,
and Dr. Zigler’s numbers, is that we have a long way to go until
our kids are ready to come prepared to learn in schools.

And the development of research and data that has expressed to
us how early children are learning. And my gosh, we need to not
lose this period of time. I think that is driving it, as well as what
is happening to our kids. We are not meeting their needs in so
many ways. And that we have a lot to do in a variety of areas. And
we are focusing on these two pieces here. We cannot do everything
in this committee hearing, or in this particular debate.

But again, I do not believe that welfare or the welfare reform bill
has driven this. I think that there are some bigger issues that are
driving this debate, which have caused the public outcry and inter-
nal movement in this area. And I am not Pollyanna, and I think
people know that. We do not have all of the resources to do every-
thing, and we do want to do it right. The guidance that we need


183

We work with all branches of government at the State and mu-
nicipal level. We work with communities and community organiza-
tions. We strongly involve the business community. We see chil-
dren really not only from a humane point of view, but as an eco-
nomic development issue. And the business community is begin-
ning to resonate to those needs, and has taken a very strong posi-
tion here in Connecticut in support of these policies.

We work with the media and through public education to provide
all kinds of forums to make sure that people understand what is
involved in these issues. And, of course, we work with parents, and
involve them in ways to empower them to be advocates for their
own children.

But what I would like to comment on is a theme——

Mr. Suays. None of that was a comment?

Ms. SIMON. That was just a background. There are a couple of
points that I would like to offer you.

Mr. SHAYS. Try to do it in a minute or two.

Ms. Simon. All right. And that is something that has been
touched on briefly by a number of different people today.

My concern is that we not fragment our views about children,
that we not fragment our approach to dealing with them, and that
we not fragment our thinking about our resources. We are the rich-
est country in the world. And it is a matter of political will, which
has burbled up in these couple of years, that should make it pos-
sible to take a whole child approach, to be able to talk about it
across class, and that it not necessarily be means tested.

And that in fact if we are talking about one in four children in
Connecticut who are not ready to learn in Ernie Boyer’s study, that
means that we are talking about not just poor children but all chil-
dren and their developmental needs.

I think that the school readiness bill, which we had a great deal
to do with in the past legislative session, provides components that
are applicable to any legislation that has to do with young children.

Mr. SHays. That is State legislation. School readiness is the
State legislation.

Ms. SIMON. School readiness is the State legislation. And let me
just very quickly cite the components in it which are applicable to
all manner of legislation relating to children. It talks about chil-
dren in this case 3’s and 4’s, and I would say birth through 8. Full
access. It is for families with a sliding component in it. So with
support from government to make it possible to address the issues
of quality.

It provides dollars that provide wraparound care, that stress full
day and full year. Which talks about service integration, and that
means health systems, education, and Joyce’s department of social
services.

It talks about parent involvement, and it talks about the transi-
tion to elementary schools, so schools are ready for children. It
talks about quality and all that is involved in promoting that.

It talks about local coordination and planning, and career lad-
ders, and accreditation. It talks about health care as part of this
system and safety. And it certainly upgrades the possibilities for
expansion.


60

years and, even though their philosophy was different than Head Start, I did it the Head
‘Start way by involving parents in their child's preschool experience.

Later, I came to Bridgeport and after a year I found a job in a Head Start program
‘as the Education Coordinator. I had never been involved in developing plans and
supervising staff, but again, someone in Head Start saw in me what I didn't see in myself
--the ability 10 do the job. I was the Education Coordinator for six years and when the
Director left, 1 became Director / Parent Involvement Coordinator. This position gave
me the opportunity to give back to Head Start what it had given me - my story to parents
who did not feel they could do the things they needed to do to reach their professional
and personal goals. I became the example that you can do or become all you want to be
if you believe in yourself and have support from someone who cares and Head Start
people care.

‘One of the best advantages of Head Start is that we are constantly leaning new
things. Procedures...skills to do the job more effectively...helping others in
advocacy...working with other community organizations to make a difference in the lives
of families and community...and involving parents all the way. Head Start was the
catalyst that started me on the path to a future in the human-service field and it is Head
Start that keeps me here.

‘Today, now a grandmother and foster mother, I am the Senior Coordinator for
Family and Community Services for our Childcare Department at ABCD. I assess
training needs of parents and provide parents with the training utilizing community
resources. I assist in fostering collaborative relationships with local, state, regional and
national organizations. I was co-chair of the 1997 Early Childhood Task Force for the
city and current co-chair of a parent action group funded through the Annie E, Casey
Foundation. I have served as president or in other board positions with local educational
and social service agencies and have won numerous awards because of my community
service. Whenever I give thanks, I always give thanks to Head Start first. Head Start has
made a risk -taker out of me and I am making risk-takers out of parents. Ieven threw my
hat in the political ring to run as a candidate for the Bridgeport Board of Education.
While I didn't get the votes I needed, I tried.

Lowe all that I am now and all of what I can yet become in the future to Head
‘Start. Head Start has instilled in me the one thing that I can use whenever I am in doubt,
and that is the knowledge that.... "I CAN - BECAUSE I AM ME.”

signed Merge Geol date LR APFP.



‘The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers

Help children and families reunite and head for home at the
end of the day.

‘As the end of the day approaches, parents and children may need
‘you to help them say hello to one another and goodbye to you.
* Invite parents to come a few minutes early and spend
some time playing with their child befor they have to
leave.

+ Help a parent understand their son's confusing end-
of-the-day behavior. When be has a tantrum about
putting on his coat, explain he may have saved his
deepest feelings for them—the people he loves and
trusts most of all.

* Shar sows oft day with anc city fri
“She finished her whole bottle at 3:30.” “He helped
feed the fish today.” “She made it all the way to the
top of the climber outside.”

‘+ Be available to say goodbye to children and families
individually as they leave.

Reflect on your day.
‘Take @ moment to reflect on your day, what you learned, and to
‘note any changes for the future.
* ‘Think sbout an activity that weat well and who par-
* Make notes about why the finger painting activity
{got out of control.

+ Review your notes on individual children and think
about new experiences you can plan for them.

‘Take care of yourself.
Only by taking care of yourself will you have the resources and
‘energy to care for the children and families in your program.

+ Lear to lift childrea by bending your knees to pro-

tect your back.

‘+ Hang up artwork or a poster you like where you can
see it and enjoy it.

+ Bata nutritious breakfast each day.

* Invite toddlers to join you in a few exercises each
afternoon,

(©1997 Teaching Sirmegies, inc, Washingson, DC



18

vided quality safe child care for her. Again, another example of how
this program has affected and benefited people.

It is clear, Mr. Chairman, that this program has made a huge
difference in the lives of thousands of people already. But we need
to do more to help America’s children and families. First, we need
to fully fund Head Start in this country. This is just inexcusable.
After 30 years, we know it works. We know the benefit here. I ap-
plaud the administration. It is now going to get up to 50 percent.
Ed Towns has pointed out that what we are talking about is the
incomes of people there.

This Nation with all of its wealth and all of its resources, the fact
that we cannot fully fund Head Start, to make this available to
every eligible child, I do not understand. I just do not understand.
We have the data and we know the difference it makes.

Imagine if this were a disease we were talking about, and we
knew with the data that kids staying in school, and not becoming
teen parents, getting through on time, not ending up in the court
system, all of those things, imagine thinking of that as an illness
and we knew the results of a medical program that produced those
results, would we only fund the program for 50 percent of the peo-
ple who had it who might recover, and yet we have known this for
years. And that is all we are doing.

So I applaud the 50 percent. But candidly, and I know this is al-
ways a question of resources and so forth, but nonetheless if you
want to do something about the future in the 21st century, you
have got to start in the early years here. And this is where we
ought to be putting more of our resources.

As I said, expand Early Head Start. I am glad to see all of the
attention. Rosa very graciously mentioned the child care programs,
and we are doing some of that. We have got some initiatives in to
start earlier with that, the infant care, the toddler care, the quality
issues. And again, I know that I am preaching to the choir here
with ali of you on this panel, with your deep interest and commit-
ment to it.

But again with welfare to work, the studies that I got back from
the GAO. I asked the GAO in 1996 to do an assessment of what
pressures would be created under existing pools of resources. As we
went from welfare to work, what kind of pressures would that put
on working parents who are on that fringe, who were not on wel-
fare, but hanging right by their fingernails on this stuff.

The study came back 4 days ago. The vacancy rates. They as-
sessed five States. The vacancy rates in California are 200,000 that
they do not have slots for. In Texas, it is 80,000. In Florida, 80,000.

And what they are doing is not subsidizing and supporting the
child care needs of working parents in order to satisfy the child
care needs of people who have gone from welfare to work. So again,
we are playing off one constituency against another that will now
fall back a bit here.

And as a result, I am hopeful that with the tremendous amount
of attention that is being paid—by the way, the bill that I have in-
troduced does not pit working parents against stay at home par-
ents. And what I do here is I provide tax credits up to 1 year per
se, if people want to make the decision to stay at home. It is not


al

Tint a2 Boepes ea ate iH Had HH it
; fit tH ib i Ht at i ft fine ti Hight ny uel;
Rea He ide Hit
ih Higa Hi Mian

ii i ith nH a Eee

it

ial al a

Ie Hah ict A Hie
a ce : a
sHE

° pth H Hh

*} elt
enigl

t

i in til a a of
if ti HT a it sin :

it leit rd ih A i

i H bbl

i ete
:
j

i it Why! jit
ip ait il bi
ria oY ia fale

Bei busy moms, oa not child’s 's play


51

Prepare and serve snacks and meals.

‘Whether you do the cooking yourself or work in a program that
has a cook, you can appreciate learning opportunities and nur-
‘uring feelings that are associated with food.

‘+ Serve a variety of healthy foods.

* Communicate with parents, Ask about any cultural
or dietary considerations. Learn about any allergies
children may have, their special nutritional require-
ments, and food preferences. Post menus so parents
know what their children are eating each day.

+ Hold an infant on your lap during snack so be can
enjoy all the activity. Invite toddlers to help put out
plates and napkins, spread apple butter on their
Crackers, and pour their own juice from small plastic
pitchers.

+ Sit with children while they eat. Talk about what
they are eating and doing. Make mealtime enjoyable
and a learning experience.

‘+ Feed babies when they are hungry, not according to a
preplanned schedule.

‘Change diapers and help toddlers learn to use the toilet.

‘When you change a diaper or hetp a child use the toilet, try
looking through a child’s eyes and ask yourself, “What is be or
she experiencing?”

‘+ Help children feel good about themselves and their

“Accidents happen. Let's find you a pair of dry
pants.”

+ Observe safety practices such as never leaving a
child on the changing table unattended and wiping up
spills to avoid falls oa the hard bathroom floor.

+ Wash your hands—and children's—and disinfect the
changing table after each diaper change.

+ Play “where is your tummy?” as you change a child's
diaper.

‘+ Look for signs that indicate a toddler is getting ready
to be a toilet-user—e.g., staying dry for long periods
of time and saying when she has to urinate or have a
bowel movement.

(©1997 Teaching Strtogies,Inc., Washingsoa, DC


execurie piRECTOR
Jose Nore

oanD oF o1RECTORS
Cea oer

Meno Sraer + Cito Cane Peockas

gina Earty HEAD START:

‘seme Power Goats AND CHALLENGES,

Pieri Sue ‘TesTIMONY OF JANE F, NORGREN

Deane Meher TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES’

pane ‘Sup-ComartTes ON HuMAN RESOURCES,

a FEBRUARY 19, 1998,

a Norwatx Connecticut

Fe ag Bw Good morning. I would like to start by thanking Congressman
ay Shays and the sub-committee for your invitation to testify today and

ae " '

Maite to share with you some of our experiences. My name is Jane F.

rem Norgren, and I am executive director of the Child Care Center of

ye i Stamford, Connecticut. Our program was established in 1902, so we

Pola are now entering our 97th year of service to the children and

fos cee families here in Fairfield County. We operate a variety of

fee coordinated programs throughout Stamford and our surrounding

prises area, including Child Care, School Readiness, Day Care, and Head

xoat Start.

Seemann.

Pein

Parte

The Child Care Center is dedicated to providing families quality
early care and education programs in a safe and healthy
environment. We presently work with approximately 880 children
daily between eight weeks old and kindergarten age. Our services
work together as one, stressing health, nutrition, literacy, family
services and education.

We recognize and stress the fact that all of our efforts are in
tandem with the parents in particular and the community in
general. The family is each child’s “first teacher,” so when we talk
about education, we are talking about parents as well as children.
With pre-natal education, our Early Head Start program actually
begins in the womb.

The families that are in need of our Early Head Start program
are, by regulation, the poorest of the poor. By definition, they
are “at risk.” These families are more likely to be dysfunctional.

& ‘A great many at-risk children grow up in exceptionally violent

4

omy ‘Tha Cuil Care Center of Stamford, Inc.» 64 Palmers Hill Rd. * Stamford, CT 06902 « Tel (203) 3235944 » Fax: (203) 327-1271
bor Bacco on a = 6 Pes BL» Ser CF ttt) 880A Fe: SEEIEL


142

because money is too tight to pay for healthcare. Thanks to the unified efforts of the United
States Congress, President Clinton, Governor Rowland, and the Connecticut General Assembly,
‘we have launched a program that will provide health insurance to nearly 90,000 uninsured
children here in our state. HUSKY will work like private insurance, and will be available to all
families on a needs-tested basis. Depending upon income and the numbers of children in a
family, the insurance will be available without charge, or with slight premiums, or with small
co-pays, But the genius of HUSKY, if I can use that word, is that it will allow families from all
across Connecticut to group together so that 90,0000 kids can access one of the finest packages
of insurance services available in the state, That is the potential for HUSKY, but it’s a potential
that cannot be realized without effort and outreach. That is why a significant part HUSKY will
bbe undertaken through outreach to and collaboration with Head Start and other childcare

programs.

Brain r

About three weeks ago, I had the good fortune to sit on a panel with First Lady Hillary Clinton,
who came to Connecticut to discuss the President's proposals to improve childcare. I was
pleased to note that much of what President Clinton is proposing has already been advanced here
in Connecticut. To put it simply, our goal is year-round, full-day, high-quality childcare that
develops healthy and school-ready children, not just for traditional “pre-schoolers,” but for all
children, from infancy onward. As acknowledged by the White House, Mrs. Clinton visited
“Connecticut to learn about exciting developments in the area of early learning,” Much of what

6


135

are aware that the majority of the support in the past has gone to-
ward children who are either in school, before school, or pre-
schoolers.

We know that the area of infancy and toddlers are very critical
years. I think that all of the research that we are aware of cer-
tainly makes that clear. And I am pretty sure that Dr. Zigler again
will hit that point for us.

Third, we believe that a whole child approach to child care is
very important, to ensure systemic connections between the intel-
lectual and emotional growth of children and their physical health
and development.

And fourth, any discussion of expanding or creating more child
care slots, or Head Start slots, or even Searly Head Start slots,
must really take into consideration some of the more brick and
mortar kinds of issues that I would like to raise. And that is where
are we going to put these little people that we have if we are not
quickly able to build facilities and provide chairs and things of that
nature, a critical piece for us as we look to expanding.

Policymakers really need to leave room for incentive for corrobo-
ration and innovation at the local level. And much of my thinking
on that has to do with the fact that Connecticut has really moved
forward in this whole area of school readiness and early care and
education. Anything that is done at the Federal level obviously im-
pacts what we do at the local level. It is really important that flexi-

ility is involved in anything that we do going forward.

Let me talk a little bit about the welfare reform efforts here in
Connecticut. I believe that you have some charts in front of you
that I will direct your attention to. Through a combination of a 21-
month time limit here in the State of Connecticut, we have actually
helped thousands of families to move off of welfare into the labor
market. I think that you will see by the first chart how the case-
load has actually decreased based on that.

Mr. Suays. Can you read the title of the chart?

Ms. THoMas. TFA case load trends is the first one.

What this indicates to us is the number of families that have
gone off of welfare and gotten into employment. Before we started
our welfare reform efforts, we had almost 60,000 families receiving
cash assistance here in the State of Connecticut. Right now that
figure as of January is about 48,000 individuals who are going to
work.

Related to that are children who need to have care and edu-
cation. And you are certainly aware that child care is a critical
piece of that.

The second chart that you will see there is TFA, temporary fam-
ily assistance cases with earnings. When we first started our wel-
fare reform efforts here in the State of Connecticut, we had ap-
proximately 7 percent of the families that were on cash assistance
working. ough some policy changes, through a focus on employ-
ment, through building incentives for families to go to work, we
have approximately 60 percent of all of those cases that are on
time limited welfare that are working.

There is not a chart here on this particular piece of it, but I cer-
tainly would like to say to the administrator, Olivia Golden, that
I am also happy to report that the State of Connecticut has met


13

‘We must not neglect the needy uf our most vulnerable populations. It is
imperative that we continuc to invest in effective programs 10 promote the heslthy
development of children. In this way, at-risk infants and toddlcrs will mest their
responsibilities in life and become productive citizens, This is an investment that,
will pay huge returns in the long run.

‘Again, I support the mission of the arly Head Start program. 1 want to
commend you for your efforts to examine this program and to cnure that it
continues to meet its important goals.

ee “ ios


137

sit on the school readiness councils. It was included in the particu-
lar legislation that we passed here in State.

The local school readiness councils and our priority school dis-
tricts are really the ones that are making recommendations to both
the State department of education and the department of social
services on who should be funded on a very local level. And parent
involvement is a critical piece of that. It was mandated through our
local legislation. And we believe that parent involvement is very
important.

T heard you ask the other panelists who were up here whether
it will work without parent involvement. I am of the opinion that
if the parents are not involved, you do not have the buy-in, and it
cannot work. I think that we have been really very lucky in this
State to have great community-based organizations providing these
services who have outreached to our families and made them a crit-
ical piece of the planning process.

We have institutionalized much of that here in Connecticut and
have moved that forward with the school readiness councils.

We have linked the department of social services funds with the
education department funds to be able to provide wrap-around
services for Head Start. Where a Head Start program may be a
half day and may be operating 9 months out of a year, we utilize
our State dollars in order to make those full day and full year pro-
grams.

We have established a child care training academy, because we
recognize that there are a number of child care providers who need
to increase their own skills in the area of providing care and train-
ing to our children.

e have also expanded new ways of financing, how to build fa-
cilities through a child care loan fund and through something that
we are calling CHFA, which is a financing program for facilities,
so that they can borrow money at a very low cost in order to ex-
pand their facilities.

I guess that what I would say in terms of closing is that we view
the Early Head Start program I think here in the State of Con-
necticut, while it is very new, that the potential for it in terms of
being able to focus in on children early, by being able to reach
pregnant women, by being able to reach them and provide services
to their children early is very critical.

We believe that anything that we can do in the area of preven-
tion is very important. It would be my hope that the more we do
in the area of prevention, the more that we spend in that particu-
lar area, means that I will need to spend less on the kinds of serv-
ices that I provide and that I operate.

Again, I am happy to be here and have this opportunity to talk
with you about our programs in Connecticut, and certainly about
the potential of Early Head Start and the Head Start Program.
Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Thomas follows:]


co eee ces emees your ehatlen,

Observe children.

‘As you watch children throughout the day, ask yourself, “What
is each child experiencing?”

Use a system for recording your observations, such
as jotting notes in a notebook or on index cards.
Observe children every day.

Conduct both formal and informal observations.
‘Talk with your director about a new child who doesn’t
tum to look at you when you call her name or doesn’t
respond to loud noises.

Put away the push toys that children have been
ignoring and take out some new toys to attract
children’s interest.

‘Talk regularly with parents about what a child is like
at home to belp you get a picture of the whole child.
“What does he play with at home?”

Be aware of how your temperament might interfere
with objective observations.

Respond to children as individuals.

‘As you plan activities and make changes in the environment,

provide enough variety to meet the needs

: geis-te
and interests of each child.

Give children choices of what to do by offering a
variety of developmentally appropriate activities
each day.

Share a book about dogs with a child who was fear-
ful of dogs while on a walk.

Be sure that each child has a “special” relationship
with you--or with another adult in your setting.

aad

needs. They are the basis for
your program.

(Chapter 5)

Intro-7

Use your observations and what you have learned
from talking with parents to help you better under-
stand each child's needs and interests.

Pian ways to respond to a child who was bom pre-
maturely and with FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome).

(©1977 Teaching Strangiat, nc, Warhiagion, DC


2

and the community with each year of low self-esteem and poor
school performance.

Early Head Start applies the science of child development to the
art of parenting to protect a priceless and irreplaceable asset, the
mind of a child.

In his 1998 budget, the budget that we are now in, the President
called from a national debate on child care. And this year, Con-
gress will write legislation to reauthorize the $4.3 billion Head
Start Program. Both debates will take place as welfare reform puts
parents back into the work force and into the market for reliable
and high quality child care. Early Head Start should be an option
for them.

So we come here this morning to listen, to learn, and to ask what.
impediments confront Early Head Start as the Department of
Health and Human Services, HHS, continues to expand the reach
and the quality of the program.

As an oversight subcommittee, our mission is to make sure Fed-
eral programs not only mean well, but do well, with the resources
available. We ask how administrators assure the quality of their
programs, and we ask how the Department measures the perform-
ance and the outcome of critical efforts like Early Head Start.

In that work, we are grateful to be able to look to the expertise
and experience of our witnesses today. This morning, we will hear
from Connecticut teachers, administrators, and a Head Start par-
ent on their views of the promise and performance of Early Head

tart.

This afternoon, the HHS Assistant Secretary responsible for this
and many other family service programs will lead a panel with the
State social service commissioner, a distinguished researcher on
child development issues, and a leader of the national Head Start
movement.

I also want to express my gratitude to my Connecticut congres-
sional colleagues in my statement, to Senator Dodd and Represent-
atives Johnson and DeLauro, for their participation today. Their
commitment to child care issues is a credit to our State and an im-
portant part of their service to our Nation.

Again, we welcome all of our witnesses.

I would say before calling on Ed Towns that this is the first hear-
ing that I have had as chairman of the Human Resources Sub-
committee in my own State. And I have been a chairman for a
number of years.

And this hearing is here not because I represent the Fourth Con-

essional District, but because Connecticut is a leader in Head

tart and Early Head Start programs. We have really come to the
mecca, and it is right here in the district that I represent, and the
State that I represent.

{The prepared statement of Hon. Christopher Shays follows:]


174

So what you heard in the comments from the programs about the
level of support that they feel, the awesome training, the ability to
call to have someone onsite, we do that through a combination of
what our own staff are able to do, plus having the best experts in
the country available.

And what we tried to do, and I think that there is nothing more
important for Early Head Start to work, is truly intensive and ef-
fective technical assistance and training.

So what we have been trying to do is have initial orientations
that are intensive. The access by phone and by site visits. The
training that you heard about for the staff, and then the monitor-
ing visits. And again, for all of those, our own staff are supple-
mented by the outside experts. And I had a chance to visit a pro-
gram the other day, which had just been through a monitoring visit
with both a Federal staff person and a range of outside experts,
and they emphasized to me the ways in which they learn from that
intensive experience.

So what I would want to underline is that I think that training
and technical assistance is critical. And I think that the contribu-
tions that Congress made in making sure that there are set-aside
resources to go to that are central to success.

Ms. DELAURO. Let me just ask you a followup question, Olivia,
which has to do with the initial timetables, I understand it, that
HHS planned to deal with the budgets for Head Start applicants,
awarding the grants if you will. That those that were to be award-
ed in 1999 have slipped, and people are not going to know until
September 1998 whether or not they have money for October or
November.

Is this accurate, that looking at the grants, in other words, there
are lots of grants, and I do not know what your staff resources are,
to look at them, would a peer review process like we deal with
NIH, would some of that be helpful in making sure that the appli-
cants get their grants in a timely way, so we can proceed with
what Dr. Zigler is talking about in terms of looking at the dem-
onstration programs, making sure that they are there?

Ms. GOLDEN. Let me tell you a little bit about timing and proc-
ess. I do not know about an issue of delay. In 1997, last year, we
did a nationwide competition. We had many more high quality ap-
plicants than the amount of dollars appropriated. So we did not
reach every high quality applicant. We went to the number that we
had money for.

What we are doing this year, and it will actually be in the next
few weeks, it is not a matter of September, it was a matter of get-
ting the appropriation, we will be able to reach the next group of
quality applicants from that list.

In addition we anticipate doing another competition this year.
Through the generosity of the Congress, which appropriated $50
million additional resources, and the increase in the set-aside this
year, we have a lot of additional resources to invest in Early Head
Start this year.

We are going from about 22,000 children served last year to up
to 39,000 this year, so a very big increase is taking place right now.
So in addition to reaching the high quality applicants from last


163

V. The Need for Additional Research

Since the early 1980s, NHSA has supported comprehensive research on the impact of
Head Start. On numerous occasions, Congress has authorized funds for this purpose, only
to fail to riate them. NHSA welcomes and demands additional research examining:
the impacts of Early Head Start (and Head Start) on low-income families and their children.
At the same time, the Association cautions Congress not to delay expanding services to
infants and toddlers simply to wait for Early Head Start-specific research. Longitudinal
studies, by definition, take years and decades to complete. If we wait until Early Head
Start studies are published before we grow the program, we will deny perhaps two more
generations of low-income families and their children Head Start services. This simply is
unfair. It is also unnecessary.

There is already a wealth of information pointing to tremendous benefits gained, by both
families and the community at large, through providing quality early childhood and family
development programs like Head Start. True, these studies were not all done using Head
Start programs, but there is no reason to doubt that, given high quality, Head Start
programs would achieve the same results.

If Early Head Start is already accountable to the same (and in some cases more stringent)
standards as regular Head Start and if the programs are reviewed according to the same
process, what possible justification could be given for waiting until further research is
completed before expanding the Early Head Start program?

VI. Role of the Federal Government

The federal government has a huge responsibility in addressing the needs of low-income
families and their children in the post welfare reform environment. Growth of Early Head
Start, enough to serve each community's needs, should be encouraged in both law and
practice. This will give low-income families the training and support they need to enter the
workforce and at the same time provide for the educational, health, nutritional and social
development needs of their children. Federal oversight must ensure that growth of the
Early Head Start program occurs at a reasonable rate in order that quality is not adversely
impacted. In addition, the federal government must continue efforts to convince states to
work with Head Start - partner with the program to provide full-day, full-year services and
employ Head Start as the model after which other early childhood programs are designed.

Recognizing the need for expansion of services to infants and toddlers, acknowledging the
fact that services to infants and toddlers are more costly than services to older children, and
understanding the research which clearly demonstrates that money invested in quality early
child development programs today will result in tremendous savings in years to come,
Congress must boldly move to fund Head Start at a level which will ensure high quality
expansion. Providing quality early care for our nation’s children is not an effort which can
be done “on the cheap". Head Start, including services to infants and toddlers, must be
funded at levels sufficient to ensure continuing high quality training and technical
assistance, monitoring, and oversight. These quality assurances must be funded at the
Tegional level as well as the federal level.

Head Start performance standards, licensing requirements and numerous other regulations
have been developed over thirty plus years of history. They ensure a high quality program,
but only if appropriate funding and oversight are provided. A quality program means that


72

Start. Public schools are required to serve all children regardless
of income and, in kindergarten through Grade 3, prepare children
for reading and academic success. Support services and parent
involvement are a strong element of the focus.

Head Start serves a specific income group and provides the full
range of comprehensive services (health, dental, social services,
nutrition, child development and social services). Parent
involv i it it now

Reasons for fade out might include:
¢ Different missions of the public school versus Head Start,

¢ Availability of funding to provide quality, equitable educational
opportunities,

« Low income children are often in schools (based upon resident
address) where poverty is concentrated and the educational
environment is poor in quality (Lee and Loeb, 1995).

© Notall public schools offer developmentally appropriate and
culturally reflective curriculum.

e Family support is needed at the public school level for families
who may have health issues, be homeless, have children with
disabilities, or not have English as a primary language.

NEON has had a unique experience in adapting the Head Start
model to support families with children between birth to 3 and
pregnant women.

In 1990 the Connecticut Department of Correction awarded NEON
a planning contract to research and develop a halfway house model


27

affects the brain. Scientists now know that not only is the child’s development affected
but also how the actual circuitry of the brain is wired. Shore goes on to point out that
early care influences not only how a child will learn and develop but also on how they will
be able to regulate their own emotions. That ability to control emotions is an interplay of
the biological systems and the child’s attachment to a caregiver as well as the experiences
of early life

Early Head Start is about intervention, not only in the life of the child but also in the life of
the parent. Shore points out that studies time and again have shown that “well designed,
timely intervention can improve the prospects-and the quality of life-of many children who
are at risk of cognitive, social, or emotional impairment.” When comprehensive services
are introduced into a family, the family has the opportunity to provide effective parenting
for their child. This does not mean that within a year all will be well. For our most
vulnerable families it may take more than one or two years before they are ready to be
self-sustaining and life-long learners.

This leads to the issue of “fadeout” of Head Start achievement. In Early educational
intervention with disadvantaged children-to what effect?, Ramey and Ramey point out
that positive learning experiences are not sufficient in themselves to ensure that a child will
be able to perform well through all their school years. “ Poor school environments,
suboptimal health, a seriously disrupted home environment, and many other conditions are
known to influence the behavior of children at all ages.” They further point out that any
study that looks at the long term effects of earty intervention must look at the
environments and experiences of the child following the intervention.

A.J. Sameroff in Models of Development and Developmental Risk talks about the
relationship between the capabilities of a person and the stress and support that is available
in their environment. When we are talking about the development of children we must.
consider the impact of the environment on the child. Sameroff points out that children
‘who experience a poor family and social environment at 1 with no environmental change
by the time the child is13,may have reduced ability to achieve a high level of competence.
He further states whatever the capabilities provided to cid by individual factors itis
the environment that limits the opportunities for development.” What Sameroff is saying
speaks directly to the issue of fade out. Intervention is necessary as long as the risk
remains,

Last year Litchfield County Head Start submitted an Early Head Start proposal to the
Head Start Bureau. As of today we have not received a grant. We have already begun to
work with staff, parents and community partner to prepare a proposal for submission this
year. Our proposal will address a seamless system of Head Start as reflected in the
Performance Standards. A seamless system will utilize what already exists in Head Start
and expand the services and possibilities for families with children between the ages of 0
and 5.

manda


10

insecurities. National initiatives such as the extensive training
provided by the Children’s Literacy Initiative heightened
awareness and enhanced staff skills. Having participated in the
literacy training our classroom environments are print rich. We
have established a bi-weekly take home library and implemented a
tead a long parent education series. Literacy skills become integral
to the family “tool box”.

Also, in the family tool box is information and supported practice
in negotiating health management organizations, public school
systems and social service agencies systems which often are
frustrating and exhausting to families. Without skills and patience,
it is easy just to “give up”. Learning to advocate for one’s self is
critical. Case management enables the parent to have a primary
role in assessing family strengths, planning for the future and
maintaining self-sufficiency. Head Start and Early Start link the
family to community services, reduce duplication and advocate for
the family. Head Start becomes a partner in already existing
family service plans. Families can become confused when
accessing several types of services with each agency desirous of
being the primary service provider. Head Start and Early Start
advocate for a manageable community service plan thus enabling
the family to measure its success in meeting goals.

Head Start and Early Start build families when it respects family
values and culture and recognizes that information and/or skills
acquired at Head Start and Early Start may not be fully utilized
until a later date.

Families are unique. So are communities. Head Start and Early
Start must respond accordingly. In order for Programs to be clear
regarding expectations and requirements, Performance Standards
are issued by the Federal Government. As detailed in the Report
of the Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion,
Performance Standards promote our fundamental concepts and



146

acknowledge the support that much of this work receives from the federal government. While
‘mast of the funding for childcare and School Readiness programs come from state revenues,
supplemental funds are received from Temporary Aid to Needy Families, the Child Care
Development and Block Grant, and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). We greatly
appreciate your continued assistance in ensuring appropriate and adequate funding that helps the

states meet their childcare needs.

‘School Readiness

We have told you somewhat of how we and others have benefited from collaboration with and

lessons from Head Start. Now we would like to talk a bit about our School Readiness initiative,
because we sincerely believe that this landmark initiative has much to offer. Using state funds,
and with unparalleled support from the General Assembly, we have launched a landmark Schoo!
Readiness program across Connecticut. Through this landmark collaboration, the program.
effects a “perfect marriage” between childcare and early-childhood development. In programs
that are now up-and-running in 14 priority schoo! districts, this novel and innovative approach
expands the supply of childcare, while upholding and increasing the quality components of
caregiving and education so that children are both safe and school ready. By integrating health
with early-childhood education, childcare facilities also provide extensive health care assessment
and services. Especially because local needs can vary greatly, the programs are directed by local
School Readiness Councils, formed by local mayors and school superintendents, which represent
municipalities, parents, educators, businesses, health care providers, and other key members of

10


63

The brain 's plasticity also means that there are times when negative

experiences or the absence of appropriate stimulation are more likely to have

serious and lasting ed effects.

+ Early exposure to nicotine, alcohol, and drugs may have even more harmful and

long lasting effects on young children than was previously suspected.

. Many of these risk factors are associated with or exacerbated by poverty. For
children growing up in poverty, economic deprivation affects their
nutrition, access to medical care, and safety and predictability of their physical
environment, the level of family stress, and the quality and continuity of their day-to-
day care.

Evidence gathered by neuroscientists and child development experts over the
last decade point to the wisdom and efficacy of prevention and carly
intervention,
© Well designed programs created to promote healthy cognitive, emotional, and social
can improve the prospects - and the quality of life - of many children.
‘The efficacy of early intervention has been demonstrated and replicated in diverse
communities across the nation.

‘Where Do We Go From Here:

+ First, do no harm.

+ ‘The principle that guides medical practice should also apply to policies and practices that
affect children.

* Allow parents to fulfil! their all-important role in providing and arranging for sensitive,
Predictable care for their children. Parents need more information about how the kind
Of care they provide affects their children's capacities.

* Implement policies that support parents in forming strong, secure attachments with
their infants in the early months, and make a concentrated effort to improve the
quality of early care and education.

Prevention is best, but when a child needs belp, intervene quickly and
intensively.

© Warm, responsive care cushions children from the occasional bumps and bruises that are
inevitable in everyday life.

* If children are given timely, intensive help, many can overcome a wide range of
developmental problems. To have greatest impact, interventions must be timely

and must be followed up with appropriate, sustained services and support.

Promote the healthy development and learning of every child of every age,
every demographic description, and every risk category.
If we miss opportunities to promote healthy development and learning, later
remediation may be more difficult and expensive, and may be less effective.


20

issues, and worked on the health issues. Rosa has done a tremen-
dous job in the House already on these questions.

We can build a kind of consensus. We have got about 70 days in
this congressional session. We are being told that in the election
year that it is obviously abbreviated. We have got a lot on our plate
with the IMF and NAFTA expansion, and a lot of other issues, Iraq
in front of us. We ought to find some time this year.

It would be a great conclusion, if you will, to this Congress if we
could really come together on a child care bill, and some really good
funding on Early Head Start. To at least make a commitment, over
10 years or even 20 years, if we even said we are going to fully
fund Head Start. We cannot do it all in 1 year, but let’s start a pro-
gram that says we begin a process here that 10 years from now we
are going to have fully funded Head Start in this Nation, I think
the Nation would applaud wildly for a Congress that had focused
on 100 percent of our future.

Thank you.

Mr. Suays. I know that you need to get on your way. But I just
want to ask if any of your panel wants to make any comment. Let
me just ask Ed.

Mr. Towns. I just want to thank him for his comments, and also
for the work that he has done in this area in the past. And I look
forward to continue to work with you on many of these issues.

Senator Dopp. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Mr. Suays. Nancy.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Thank you, Chris, for being here. Bicameral work
is not very common. In our neck of the woods, I was privileged to
work with the Senator on the Chafee bill, and introduced it in the
House. We provide 50 percent of the tax credit for 3 years looking
at those first 3 years. But I think because we really have to do
something about the prejudice of national policy toward out of
home care, and while we are a long way from paid leave, that we
should not really be a long way from really beefing up not only the
dependent care tax credit.

Because the reformed dependent care tax credit in your bill and
mine, I think, modernize that and will give 50 percent. But in the
long run, we should be looking at a much more generous dependent
care tax credit for both out of home care and the same in care
groups that stay home, so that we do something about the first 3
years, and then really focus our child care resources.

We have a unique opportunity right now, and I agree with you
on that. Because of the way that we did welfare reform, we have
more money in the system for day care than we have ever had. And
in the Chafee bill, and I am not sure about your bill, we do beef
up the money for the vouchers and the President does this in his
budget for that low income group that are in the work force that
need day care assistance.

And I think that through the block grant, and the day care cred-
it, and Head Start, and I would add in there special ed funding.
If we can get special ed funding up to 40 percent, which we prom-
ised them, then school systems will have the flexibility to knit to-
gether a far better program that involves summer school and other
assistance for kids to achieve on grade level.


37

for the actual cost of services. This is indicative of the difficulty in reaching low-income
families with quality services. All Head Start classrooms in Bridgeport have a waiting
list.

Child care in Bridgeport costs an average of $440 per month and can consume as
much as one-third of a family's budget representing the single largest expense after
housing, food and taxes for working parents (Bridgeport Child advocacy Coalition 1997).
‘The State of Connecticut's Department of Social Services pays a maximum rate of $140
per month in Southwestem Connecticut even as a Head Start five hour daily program
costs the family $225 per week.

Last year the Connecticut State Legislature allocated new funding for the state's
urban areas to expand preschool classes through their priority schoo! districts under an
act entitled "Act Concerning School Readiness and Child Day Care.” This budget action
was partly due to a recent State Supreme Court action (Scheff v O'Neill) mandating steps
toward desegregating the state's urban schools. The activity generated by the Bridgeport
‘School Readiness Report was also a factor in bringing attention to the crisis currently
existing for low-income families with young children. (See Attachment 1, Connecticut
Post articles, June 1, 4 and 5, 1997). Bridgeport was allocated 383 new full-day slots for
children ages three to five years through Connecticut's School Readiness initiative.

In Connecticut, licensed day-care facilities have room for 120,354 children.
‘However, 317,237 children need day care, according to the state's Legislative Program
Review and Investigations Committee (Connecticut Post, 1997). With only 16% of
Bridgeport’s children in licensed day care, the need is critical for low-income parents
facing the 21-month welfare reform time limits which began dropping people from the
benefit pool in late 1997.

Clearly, Bridgeport's children and families need both Head Start and Early Head
start programs. It is imperative that the $90 million in anticipated federal funding be
maintained for the Early Head Start program. Last year over 650 proposals were
received and only 30 grants were awarded. ABCD was one of the applicants that has not
yet been able to open its Early Head Start program due to lack of funding. We urge the
Subcommittee to support the set-aside for Early Head Start and protect this funding. Nor
should we allow the Head Start allocation to be drained to support expansion of Early
‘Head Start since we must stand fast in our commitment to quality child care for all
children birth to five - we cannot be asked to choose between the two.

Earlier, I referenced the need for continuity of care for very young children in
child care. In order to attract, train and retain well qualified teachers for Head Start and
Early Head Start, we must be willing to pay professional salaries. This year ABCD.

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 8


157

beginning with Early Head Star, followed by Head Start, which in tum is followed by a
high-quality program in the early grades of school.

For someone who has studied children for 40 years, it is gratifying to see that
policy makers are using our scientific knowledge base to establish effective programs and
policies for children and families. Olivia Golden and Helen Taylor should be
commended for taking the road map laid out by the bipartisan Committee on Head Start
Quality and Expansion, and working very hard to improve Head Start's quality. Due to
their efforts, new performance standards for Head Start now cover services for infants and
toddlers. Early Head Start is a prime example of the new conventional wisdom that the
best programs for children involve both the parents and their children... We might ask
why it has taken 33 years since the launching of Head Start to mount a sizeable high-
quality program for disadvantaged infants and toddlers. But at long last we have a
program for very young children that insists on quality and is well-grounded in our

knowledge of human development


57

Intreduction

‘+ Talk with a friend during a break or in the evening,
when something is bothering you.

‘Meet and talk regularly with colleagues in child care and

‘your commanity.
; : Remind yourself that caring for babies, toddlers, and families is
ety eons Rips to | fewarding and demanding work that is easier and better done

resources

‘Streagthen families and enhances ‘ith the support of colleagues.

Phares Nal aalaiatal ‘+ Think about all the people who could help you with
the daily questions and concemns about children and

their families. This list might include your director,

co-workers, members of your provider association or

a someone from your Child and Adult Care Food ..

* [Being « professional means Program, and people from various social service
respecting the privacy of chil- agencies in your community.
them honestly and ethically. + Call on these resources as issues arise. Discuss your
(Chapter 1) concems about typically developing children and

those with special needs, flwvays maintaining confi
dentiality of individual children and families

+ Figure out ways to talk with colleagues regularly,
such as at staff meetings, family child care associa-
tion meetings, or even monthly pot-luck dinners.

+ Be aware that there are times when the best way you
can support a family is by referring them to someone
with the specific knowledge and skills they may
need.

In your program, the order in which activities occur will vary based on the ages of the children
‘you care for and their individual needs on a particular day. Indeed there will be many times
‘when you will be juggling doing two or more of these activities at the same time. There is,
however, one important constant: being aware of why you do what you do will help easure that
the countless decisions you make each day add up to a high quality program. Throughout the
book, we will explore the ideas, strategies, and practices introduced here. By putting the
Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers into action, you can bring quality to the life of
‘each day in your program.

(©1997 Teaching Strategies, lnc, Washingion, DC


23

ments are important, but they are submitted for the record. I want
to emphasize that this is a congressional hearing, a field hearing.
It is here in the district, but we do transcribe it fairly quickly. We
will be responding to it. The staff will be looking at and reading
your statements closely, and important recommendations will come
from it, and legislation will be the result. This is a big deal, and
it is great to have you here.

STATEMENTS OF PATRICIA DOOLAN, CHAIRMAN, CONNECTI-
CUT HEAD START ASSOCIATION; ELAINE LIBERTO, DIREC-
TOR, ABCD HEAD START, BRIDGEPORT, CT; DONA DITRIO,
DIRECTOR, NEON HEAD START, NORWALK, CT; JANE
NORGREN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE CHILD CARE CEN-
TER, STAMFORD, CT; AND LISA SULLIVAN, PARENT

Ms. DooLan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the
committee, for inviting me to provide testimony today.

In summarizing my written testimony, I would like to speak to
three issues, mental health, staff development, and fadeout. The re-
cent research on brain development supports the principles and
cornerstones of Early Head Start.

Rima Shore, in “Rethinking the Brain,” states that throughout
the entire process of development beginning even before the birth
of the child that the environment affects the brain. Scientists now
know that not only is the child’s development affected, but also how
the actual circuitry of the brain is wired.

Shore goes on to point out that early care not only influences
how a child will learn and develop, but also how they will be able
to regulate their own emotions. That ability to control emotions is
an interplay of the biological systems and the child’s attachment to
a care giver as well as the experiences of early life.

The focus of Early Head Start is on the successful development
of infants and toddlers. To assure that the infant has the needed
stimulation during those first critical days and years of life, there
needs to be an emphasis on the mental health of both the child and
the parent. Infant mental health is about family mental health. Pa-
rental mental health is essential for the child-parent bonding to
take place.

In Early Head Start, there needs to be strong links between the
mental health community and the staff and parents of the pro-
gram. The focus needs to be on the relationship between the parent
and child, the parent and the care giver, and the care giver and
the child. There needs to be strong loving connections in a nurtur-
ing environment. In addition, there must be strong mental health
support for care givers in addition to the parent of the child.

Staff needs to have strong support in their work, if they are to
provide comprehensive services and support for the child and fam-
ily. Staff mental health has a strong tie to staff development. The
quality of the program is only as good as the quality of the staff.

Early Head Start staff must have a spectrum of skills, so that
they will be able to provide quality and comprehensive family cen-
tered services to children and families.

To maintain and continuously improve the quality of our pro-
grams, we must be ready to invest in staff development. The state-
ment of the advisory committee on services for families with in-


144

Because of the work and tradition that is Head Start, policy makers and the public in general are
quick to apprehend that what we now call “childcare” is not just “babysitting.” Rather, quality
childcare includes a host of wrap-around services to promote health and safety, as well am
intellectual, emotional, and cultural development for all children, including and especially those
children who might be at risk or might be disabled. This is one of the great legacies of Head
Start, one that we can continue to build on as our culture moves more and more into the realm of

out-of-family care and early-childhood development.

Collaboration in Connecticut

We in Connecticut also have used Head Start as an example for early childhood organizational
development. As originally crafted by legislation and implementation, Head Start is first and
foremost about community collaboration, parental involvement, and parental empowerment. We
in Connecticut have taken a significant leaf from the Head Start book by promoting accessible
and quality childcare that is both innovative and collaborative. Our School Readiness initiative,
includes own Department of Social Services, the Office of the Governor, the General Assembly,
the Connecticut Departments of Public Health, Education, Children and Families, and Public
Safety, as well as the Connecticut Health and Education Finance Authority, the Commission on
Children, UConn, the Connecticut Community Technical Colleges, and local municipalities.

Just as importantly, our local School Readiness Councils, ike Head Star, invite and require not
just community collaboration, but parental involvement and empowerment. The Commission on
Children’s Parent Leadership Training Institute, a program that the White House supported in

8


90

Coming from a middle class family, I never had wanted for anything. I was
very fortunate. Due to family circumstances and lots of bad choices I did not
finish high school. Instead I chose to follow a path with whom I thought
would become my life long love. We were young and very nieve, and
seldom looked back to evaluate any of the choices we had made.

Thad been working a full time job, supporting an apartment, car, and other
living expenses. I had been covered under my family’s medical policy, and
after learning about my pregnancy, my only concern was to obtain private
insurance for John after he was born. I had not prepared for the reality of
John’s illness being considered a pre-existing condition, which then
excluded him from every insurance plan I looked into.

While at Yale, I vividly recall the social worker coming into my room one
morning and telling me that John would be eligible for Medicaid. It was a
blessing. I eagerly accepted the assistance, because my main concern was
having the ability to provide John with the best medical care possible. The
doctors had told me that it was a possibility that John would require a liver
transplant. Medicaid would have been the only way I could ensure that his
every need would have been met.

John and I spent weeks and then months as residents of the 7" floor Yale
pediatric unit. It seemed as though as soon as they gave us the ok to come
home, John would develop another infection in his liver and end up back on
the pediatric floor. We spent many holidays in the unit, and they soon
became my second family.

‘Due to John’s extensive special needs, he was referred to the Early
Intervention Birth to 3 program in New London County. Once we came
home, they began the process of evaluating John for the special services he
would need to help with his development. At a year old, John still only
weighed 13 pounds, and as other children his age were beginning to walk
and talk, J could only hope and pray that his strength would help him pull
through this very difficult time.


172

of the internal recognition that that is occurring, that in fact what
you are able to do is to move down the field.

I am of the view, again with limited experience in the Congress,
that the window of opportunity is open for a very short time. And
I think that we have got to take a look at what our values are and
what our priorities are. And also looking at resources, but where
those resources are placed.

And I think that we can do no better than to take what data you
have uncovered, plus all of the research, you said that probably we
may have all of the research we need, you know that again better
than I, of where we need to go with Head Start, what we can do
with Early Head Start, and how we can change the direction of the
lives of our kids.

I am imploring you, because those of us up here, and I think I
say this fairly, we are regarded as political ple, as politicians,
and have one side of the coin or the other of what you are trying
to defend. But you and others who are sitting here have the data
and the information that says if you do not move now, you are
going to lose valuable time, and you are going to lose children.

So I am imploring all of you to really make your voices heard.
We cannot do it all. But damn, we can move along this thing as
fast as we can to do what we need to do with evaluating He id
Start, and making sure that is working and going forward, closing
down the pieces that do not work, looking at the research and mov-
ing it, and finding out how we expand those Head Start places to
Early Head Start, and trying to build with the model of Head Start
with the evaluation process what we need to do in Early Head
Start to get going.

Otherwise, that data that has been uncovered is going to sit on
that shelf. It is not going to go anywhere else, and something else
will fill the vacuum at the moment.

And I say please, be the catalyst and be the force that presses
us to move, and to move as fast as we can given the climate that
we have in moving forward. Because I think that you have got the
data, and hopefully we have got the will, the political will, to move
this ball forward. Dr. Zigler, please.

I did not mean to make a speech. But I am telling you that I
have watched this place open up and close in a second, and I do
not want it to close on Early Head Start at the moment.

I wanted to ask Sarah Greene. You talked about HHS evaluating
current Head Start grantees and looking at their ability to deal
with children 0 to 3.

Given that caring for preschoolers is different than caring for in-
fants and toddlers, how would you recommend that HHS go about.
evaluating the existing programs for preschoolers to determine
whether or not we can move these programs and expand them 0
to 3 successfully?

Ms. GREENE. Well, first of all, I would say, again looking at my
own experience in working with the Federal Government, the re-
gional and the Federal offices, for a number of years, make two vis-
its a year to a program assessing what you are doing, providing fol-
lowup training, (T&T), responding to your needs and questions im-
mediately within 30 days, and then go to every 3 years indepth, to
telephone calls occasionally.


44

(COMGCTOUTPOST Wednesday, June

win approval

School funds

ByLINDA CONNER LAMBECK

te

HH
a

fe
HEE

bai
4 Uh

ently it wie

i

aH
iH

Init

7agt
i

 epaien 8

ie
He

i sy
ntl i
Hy

ae

We

faa E tga i all! dy

el ial
villi nee

Soe oe

: sae re
Lawmakers praise

Figg

it

for pre-school chil-

UAL An
iit i ul

3 Hf whilin

we package

i pone
edi mace

ui “a

uate HH i

ite
ie td

He

rh a

all i


85

the special services that he would need to help with his develop-
ment. At a year old, John still only weighed 13 pounds. And as
other children his age were beginning to walk and talk, I could
only hope and pray that his strength would help him pull through
this very difficult time.

We began receiving weekly home visits by an interventionist.
Most of the interventionist’s work was related to helping John de-
velop. Early Intervention referred John for many therapies. And
soon thereafter, he would begin receiving physical, occupational,
and speech therapy. I was referred to a parent-child play group and
a mother’s support group sponsored by a program. And at the age
of 2, John would participate in their integrated preschool program
while continuing to receive home visits. John would also begin a
water therapy program to help stimulate his social development.

Our weeks became filled with appointments. John’s wellness had
now consumed my life. It was obvious at the time that I would be
unable to return to work because of John’s needs. I soon realized
that along with receiving Medicaid, the reality of becoming a single
welfare mom had begun to set in.

Client ID numbers, medical cards, and food stamps were now our
new way of life. It was hard to ignore the stigma attached to re-
ceiving any kind of public assistance. I would begin to receive lots
of aid to assist John and I through a hard time. I would receive
WIC, AFDC, food stamps, energy assistance, and eventually section
8, and child support.

I am very grateful today for the system that was available for us
and the monetary help that we received. At the time, I saw these
services as an essential part of helping us to be able to keep afloat.
My emotions were forever changing, and I was learning to deal
with a much different reality than I thought that we would be fac-
ing for our future.

John participated in the Early Intervention program until he
turned three. John would leave Early Intervention label-free. I was
elated to learn that Early Intervention felt that John’s development
skyrocketed, and there would be no need for special education pre-
school referral. There truly was a miracle happening right before
my eyes.

After running on a high for so long, it all began to catch up with
me. I found myself emotionally drained and lacking the self-con-
fidence that I once remembered having years before. We had come
a long way in 3 years, and this next transition was going to become
critical for John’s continued success. I was determined to transition
John into a preschool program, in which we would continue mon-
itoring his development while allowing John to become more so-
cially active with other children his age.

John began attending the Connecticut College Children With
Special Needs Program as a peer to children with disabilities, as
I continued my search. John was able to attend that program free
of charge, because he was there as a typical peer. John was now
on the other side of the road. He was being recognized for his gains
and not his special needs. Although he was still being identified as
an at risk child because of his health condition, he seemed to con-
tinue to flourish in that situation.


176

First off, Dr. Zigler, I was getting confused why you call it a 1-
year program. It is a 1-year program for the 4-year-olds.

And do I make an assumption that most 5-year-olds are going
into kindergarten, going into elementary school?

Dr. ZIGLER. Yes. One of the aspects of Head Start that saddened
me is that Head Start started as a program for 3’s and 4’s. We
have considerable evidence that should surprise nobody that a pre-
school kid who has a 2-year program does a lot better than a kid
who has a 1-year program.

What happened during the Bush and Reagan administrations is
that a great effort was made to make this a program just for 4-
year-old children. And the demographics of the programs are such
that that has indeed turned out to be the case. And I think that
this has been done at a cost. I mean it allows them to serve a lot
more children, of course.

Mr. Suays. In other words, they decided to get more 4-year-olds
at the expense of covering 3-year-olds?

Dr. ZIGLER. The issue was a very simple one, as I witnessed it,
and that was what percentage of eligible children are served. The
problem with Head Start from day one is—even today we only
serve about 40 percent of the eligible children. So what seemed to
be driving them was how can we increase the percentage of eligible
children in the program. And one way, of course, of doing that, in-
stead of giving some children 2 years, make sure that everybody
only gets 1.

Mr. Suays. That solves some of my confusion. I am beginning to
think that I should begin to think of Head Start as three and four,
and Early Head Start as maybe one and two. Not that you want
to have me think of it that way.

But I am absolutely convinced that the President and Congress
are going to be judged by historians on the success or failure of
welfare reform, that President Clinton will be viewed as a success-
ful President, because he reoriented his party and his country to-
ward a different view, and it proved successful. If he reoriented to-
ward a different view and it is not successful, then my view is that
he will be judged fairly harshly by some, as will Congress, a Re-
publican Congress that has been advocating welfare reform for as
long as I can think of myself as a Republican.

And if in the end what we advocated for so many years fails, and
then we go back to our old ways of this dependency on Govern-
ment, I think disaster results.

I look, Joyce, and think that you have the challenge of making
something work with 21 months. Now welfare reform, it seems to
me, is going to involve lots of effort. First job training for work and
training for the adult. And the money and the transportation to get
them to wherever they work. And the other component is that they
are not home with their kid.

And so we have this added impetus. And this is why I think that
the window is there. Because I can go to my own Republican col-
leagues and say, “you know, you want welfare reform and I want
it, but who is going to be with that child?” And the best argument
is that it should be a Head Start kind of program, which empowers
the parent and involves the parent as much as possible. I mean
that is a view of empowerment and educating both.


62

Rethinking the Brain
New Insights into Early Development

Families and Work Institute

New insights into brain development suggest that as we care for our youngest
children, as we institute policies or practices that affect their day-to-day
experience, the stakes are very high. But we can take comfort in the
knowledge that there are many ways that we as parents, as caregivers, as
¢itizens, and as policymakers can raise healthy, happy smart children. We can
take heart In the knowledge that there are many things that we as 2 nation can
do, starting now, to brighten young children's future and ours.

‘Research shows that:

« Human development hinges on the interplay be between nature and nurture.

‘* How humans develop and learn depends critically and continually on the interplay
between nature (an individual's genetic endowment) and nurture ( the nutrition,
surroundings, care, stimnlation, and teaching that are provided or withheld).

general dis
development, but actually affecting how the intricate circuitry of the human brain
is “wired”.

Early care has decisive and long-lasting effects on how people develop and

learn, how they cope with stress, and bow they regulate their own emotions.

© Babies thrive when they receive warm, responsive early care.

© Warm end responsive care plays a vital role in healthy development.

« Individuals’ capacities to contra! their own emotional states appear to hinge on
biological systems shaped by their early expeciences and attachments

© A strong, secure attachment to a nurturing adult can have 2 protective biological
function, helping « growing child withstand the ordinary stresses of daily lives.

The human brain bas a remarkable capacity to change, but timing is crucial.
The brain itself can be altered - or belped to compensate for problems - with
appropriately timed, intensive intervention. In the first decade of life, the brain's
ability to change and compensate is especially remarkable.
* ‘There are optimal periods of opportunity - "prime times” during which the brain is
particularly efficient at specific types of learning.


86

Shortly after John started attending Connecticut College, I was
approached by the staff there, and asked if I would like to learn
about the Thames Valley Council for Community Action Head
Start Program. The TVCAA Head Start has a classroom on site.
And they thought that due to my low income and my family’s con-
tinuing need for intervention, we would be eligible for the program.

I learned about TVCAA Head Start’s unique home base option,
and was captured when they explained the comprehensive services
that would be available to my family. John entered Head Start
when he was 3. And I was excited about the opportunity to provide
John with the continuity of care that he had been receiving
through the early intervention program.

We would receive home visits as we had in early intervention.
And I was elated to find out that the home base option focused
both on the parent and the child, realizing that the parent is the
child’s first and most important teacher. Early Intervention had
been primarily child focused.

I quickly became oriented to the program. I began setting goals
for my family and myself. Within the first 6 months, I returned to
school and took my high school equivalency test, and received my
GED. I began attending parent committee meetings socializing
with other parents, and attending parenting classes.

The program year would soon come to a close, and I would be
eager to send John into TVCAA’s center based program the follow-
ing year. In the 1994-1995 program year, I continued to track my
progress and set obtainable goals. I would begin volunteering ex-
tensively for the program. I would serve on the Head Start policy
council, the Head Start center committee, and my community ac-
tion agency’s board of directors. I would begin to find myself in
many leadership positions.

This became a very empowering time in my life. Parents and
staff were reaching their hands out to me. They believed in me
when sometimes I did not even believe in myself. They were valu-
ing my input, and allowing me to be involved in program decisions.

began attending conferences, and was elected to serve as my
program representative to the Connecticut Head Start Association.
began 1995 as the parent chairperson of the Connecticut Head
Start Association, and be elected to represent Connecticut parents
on the New England Head Start Association board of directors.

I had received the prestigious honor of becoming the New Eng-
land Head Start Parent of the Year, and began my involvement.
with the Connecticut Head Start State Corroboration Project out of
the Governor’s office.

I decided in the fall of 1995 to enroll in an assessment of prior
learning class at my local community college with the help of finan-
cial aid. And in one semester, I would earn 39 college credits to-
ward my college degree. I would receive this credit due to my vol-
unteer experience within the Head Start Program.

I would be awarded a scholarship from the New England Head
Start Association, and continue attending college part-time for the
next three semesters. I would receive my college degree in the
spring of 1997 after finishing a legislative internship with the Con-
necticut General Assembly. At my graduation ceremony, I would be
recognized as the most outstanding graduating student of my grad-


121

services and management of the 68 local programs that became
fully operational last year, the first wave of grantees.

We have created a strong system to support training of Early
Head Start staff members and managers and provide technical as-
sistance to local agencies through onsite assistance and telephone
consultation, as well as access to the most up-to-date research-
based materials and resources to guide their implementation ef-
‘orts.

For example, teachers, home visitors, and other staff attend in-
tensive national training institutes on infant and toddler develop-
ment, and receive ongoing support through college and university
programs.

A final component of our quality strategy is a strong research ini-
tiative, to allow us to learn in a systematic way about the long-
term outcomes of this program for children and families, and to as-
sess what mixtures of program strategies and services are most ef-
fective. We selected 17 programs from our first 2 years of funding
to participate in this rigorous national evaluation.

We balance strong requirements for program quality with a flexi-
ble stance on how communities design programs and use Early
Head Start funds. Agencies have wide latitude in designing their
program services to adapt to the needs of local families, and to take
advantage of community opportunities.

For example, as you heard in the earlier panel, many agencies
are restructuring their staffing and program design in response to
the impacts on Early Head Start families of the requirements in
State welfare reform initiatives.

I would like to highlight two examples of local design. Child De-
velopment, Inc., a comprehensive nonprofit early childhood agency,
serves families in rural Arkansas through a series of centers that
provide quality child care, including services that accommodate the
needs of parents who work evening and early morning shifts in the
local poultry industry, or who attend night classes at local commu-
nity colleges.

United Cerebral Palsy of Washington, DC, and northern Vir-
ginia, which is a program that I actually had a chance to visit my-
self last week, offers parents a choice among a home visitor service,
a network of family child care homes, and a child care center.

A third agency illustrates the potential of Early Head Start to
mobilize additional community resources to complement’ Federal
funds. The Brattleboro town school district in Vermont provides a
rich array of services, including home visits, family literacy and
substance abuse treatment, special outreach to fathers, and a child
care center at the local high school.

The program generates more than $500,000 from State and local
governments, local foundations, and businesses, including a part-
nership with the First Vermont Bank, which administers a revolv-
ing low-interest loan fund to help families establish credit and
progress toward self-sufficiency.

Since 1965, Head Start has blazed the trail for our Nation by
showing the benefits of high quality comprehensive early childhood
services. I expect that Early Head Start will play a similar role as
a catalyst for other public and private initiatives for infants and
toddlers.


124

accumulating a solid picture of both the components of effective
programs and the limited reach and variable quality of our
existing system of services to our youngest children and their

parents.

Based on this knowledge, Early Head Start is designed to foster

three primary goals:

@ To enhance children’s physical, social, emotional and

cognitive development ;

© To enable parents to be better caregivers and teachers for

their children; and

¢ To help parents meet their own goals, including improving

their own education and economic self-sufficiency.

Bach Early Head Start program carries out a locally-designed
program of services, organized around the cornerstones of child
development, family development, community building and staff
development. Programs offer high quality child care and early
education, family support services, home visits, parent
education, comprehensive health and mental health services
(including services for women prior to, during and after

pregnancy) and nutrition.


31

‘Congressman Shays, honorable members of the Subcommittee on Human
‘Resources, distinguished panel members and guests. Thank you for the opportunity to
address the Subcommittee on the subject of Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges. 1
am Elaine Liberto and I am proud to serve as the Director of Head Start and Child Care
for ABCD, the Community Action Agency serving a six-town area of Fairfield County,
Connecticut. In my capacity as Director, I oversee a program which reaches 700 children
and families in and around Bridgeport, Connecticut's largest city.

My testimony will address three key areas, They are:

1) _ the advantages of Early Head Start and Head Start for low-income children
and families;

2) the need to protect funding for Early Head Start s0 that low-income infants,
toddlers and families in Bridgeport and other areas of Connecticut will
benefit; and

3) _ Early Head Start’s central position in advancing our knowledge about new
finding in the field of child development and translating knowledge into
Practice.

‘The Head Start program is unique among the federal initiatives undertaken during
the Kennedy-Johnson era and the War on Poverty. From its beginning in the late 1960's,
Head Start has been an ambitious program. Over the last 30 years great strides have been
made to shape Head Start into a dynamic and comprehensive approach to preparing low-
income children and families for school success by getting children off to a better stant
before they entered the formal educational system. From the early days of "Operation
‘Head Start", a summer program, Head Start is now synonymous with school readiness,
pareatinvolvement and community partnership.

‘I will argue that Early Head Start will bring about even greater gains for children
and families by providing communities with the opportunity to expand, enhance and
create accessible and affordable programs of high-quality child care built on the same
solid philosophical and pedagogical base as the Head Start program. Early Head Start
will be the most important federal initiative to help low-income parents take advantage of
‘breakthrough research findings on child development such as we are seeing this decade
in areas of brain research. Without Early Head Start, poor children will be deprived of
the benefits of this research.

‘The new Head Start Performance Standards enacted this year take a giant step
toward creating a seamless transition for infants and toddlers from child care to pre-

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 2


156

or third grade were far more likely to exhibit competence in academics and social
adjustment than were children who had received only a preschool program or only an
elementary school program. Other studies have found these same effects.

In the early years of Head Start, however, the program was threatened by the
discovery of a "fade-out" effect: initial dramatic gains in IQ scores immediately after
children completed a year or two of Head Start were found, 3 or 4 years later, to be
diminished and, after that, vanished completely. I have two comments to make on fade
‘out, First, IQ was the wrong thing to be measuring. From the beginning, Head Start was
designed to help poor children develop the social competence necessary to make a
positive adjustment to school. Head Start takes a holistic approach to children and schoo!
readiness, which includes health, nutrition and the child's need for parental
encouragement. A more accurate assessment of Head Start's success in achieving its
goals is gained by measuring long-term indicators of social competence, such as
placement in regular classrooms rather than special education and reduced incidence of
delinquent behavior in adolescence. On these measures, the Comell Consortium data,
especially the High Scope findings, indicate that preschool intervention has considerable
long-term effects. Secondly, the “fade out” effect for .Q. is not at all surprising. The
very idea that one or even two years of special intervention in a child's life could ward off
the ongoing, devastating effects of poverty is Pollyanna thinking, sometimes known as
the "inoculation model," or a one-time vaccination against poverty. Instead, to maximize
the intellectual and social gains of Head Start and to prevent fade out in either domain, |
would recommend a series of linked, developmentally appropriate interventions


179

And there are so many massive needs for children and families
in this country that the cost does intimidate you.

Mr. Suays. I am able to put it in perspective, I think. Now your
comment. You would go to the funny farm if over all of the years
that you know what needs to happen, it is not happening. You ei-
ther accept the reality of some limits. But it is important for us to
know, I think, and especially in a hearing setting that what should
be is not always what can be. And then the burden is more on our
shoulders.

I leave this hearing, and we are going to invite our audience to
participate as well in the end here, but I leave this hearing more
aware than I was before of how much further we have to go. I do
believe that we have two limits. One is financial, but some of that
can be resolved. The other is how much can you absorb, and how
quickly can you do it.

What I am left with is I would like to get together with a group
of Republicans and Democrats, and advocate some kind of 5 year
master plan or 10 year plan on how we would want to expand
these programs, and really be quite forceful in articulating that to
the rest of our colleagues.

Ms. GOLDEN. I guess that this is a way of underlining what all
three of you have said in terms of priorities and this window of op-
portunity. But I think that I would make two points from our per-
spective. The first is when the administration tried to think about
priorities in the context of a balanced budget, we did end up saying
yes to all of these and find the tradeoffs elsewhere, because of all
of the reasons that you said. Because there is nothing more impor-
tant than being there for young children and for their parents.

As you know, the President’s budget includes a major child care
initiative that focuses both on quality and affordability, as well as
expansions in Early Head Start and Head Start. So I would under-
line that even those of us who are forced to be practical have said
looking at this issue that the window is now to make investments
here, and make the tradeoffs elsewhere.

The second thing I would say, which again I think supports the
reflections that all of you have offered, is that making a serious
major investment in Early Head Start, as we are proposing, puts
us in a position to be a catalyst for state and local development of
programs the same way that Head Start in its 30 years has played
a critical role as a model and catalyst.

We are already finding two or three States, now that Early Head
Start is out there, and the performance standards are out there,
and the technical assistance strategy is out there, that want to
work with us to put some State money into programs with those
same standards, which we are thrilled about.

Because as Dr. Zigler has said, in infant and toddler care, most
programs out there right now are very far from this quality. So I
would underline that I think that the judgment all of you are mak-
ing that this is a window of opportunity is exactly right. And that
if we really do this right and make these serious investments, we
can be a catalyst for others to invest as well.

Mr. Towns. Just a couple of quick things.

Mr. SHAYS. Yes, sure.


!

Se. one anORED PFT conOrESS ==
Sass Congress of the Gnited States =
Foe al House of Representatives z=
Eee COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT SS
a 2157 Raveure House Orne Bupa i
or Wasvamaron, DC 20515-6143 a
—_— OPENING STATEMENT —
OF

REP. EDOLPHUS “ED” TOWNS
RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

FEBRUARY 19, 1998

Mr. Chairman. thank you for holding today’s hearing. It is a pleasure to join you here in
Connecticut to discuss this important issue.

Each year, almost one million children from low income families enter school for the first
time. Some of these children will be prepared for the school experience because of experiences
provided by parents, private pre-school and enrichment activities. Other children, because of
poverty and social isolation, may have difficulty in school. Head Start was founded on the
premise that one day, these two sets of children will live in the same society and should share the
same opportunities.

Through Head Start, pre-school preparation assures that poor children start the
educational playing field on the same footing as their more fortunate peers. Those who support
the program can point to Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez as one indication of the potential of
the program. Rep. Sanchez attended Head Start as a child and describes the program as one of
“the most fundamental experiences” of her life.

In the past thirty years, the program has served almost 16 million children. Children in Head
Start receive comprehensive early childhood development, educational, health, nutritional, social
and other services. By concentrating on the four major program components of education,
health, parental involvement and social services, Head Start attempts to assist low income
preschool children in overcoming the deficits associated with their backgrounds. The national
average Head Start cost-per-child is about $4500. In 1996. Head Start served 752,000 children.

In recent years. concerns have becn expressed about the quality of services and the
programs’s potential for sustaining positive effects over the long term. In its 1994
Reauthorization, amendments were included that increased standards, monitoring requirements,
staffing qualifications and research activities, Additionally, there is widespread agreement and


139

responsible for administering a host of programs that directly or indirectly provide goods and
services to poor and vulnerable families, women, men, youth, and children, including seniors
and people with disabilities. We administer over 90 legislatively authorized programs, and
approximately one-third of the state budget’s federal funds. We administer most of our
programs through offices located throughout the state. Services for most programs are available
at 15 offices located in five regions. In addition, many of our services are provided through a
network of community-based agencies, such as Community Action Agencies, homeless shelters,
Workforce Development Boards, and senior centers. We also send staff directly into various
communities to expedite and facilitate the provision of services. For instance, we are the first
and only state social service agency to operate an office and provide a full array of services in a
public-housing complex (Stowe Village, in Hartford). We also provide on-site services at

various hospitals and Healthy-Start centers.

For families and children, Jobs First provides Temporary Family Assistance (formerly AFDC),
employment services (formerly JOBS), and safety-net services to welfare families. We also
provide child-support enforcement, childcare, Food Stamps, rental assistance and other housing-
related services, preventive services, and medical services. For those who are elderly and
disabled, we provide a State Supplement to SSI, Rehabilitation Services, Nutritional Assistance,
Housing Assistance, Home Care, Pharmaceutical Assistance (ConnPACE), Nursing Home
Advocacy, Protective Services, AIDS Drug Assistance, independent living, assistive technology,
and medical services. For communities in general (without regard to age, family status, or

3


M7

the community. With the organizational and financial infrastructure in place, these programs
meld child care, childhood development, and educational advancement so that three, four, and
five years olds are fully equipped to attend and succeed in school.

‘At the same time, the program creates Connecticut Charts a Course, under which the Community
Technical Colleges are helping child care providers become fully qualified in school readiness.
Finally, the Connecticut Health and Education Finance Authority (CHEFA) administers the
Child Care Loan Fund, designed specifically to help local councils develop and improve their
child care facilities. To help children outside of the 14 priority municipalities, the program also
allocates funds for severe-need school districts and for quality enhancement grants. At this
point, school readiness targets children who are three and four years old. But, because
development from infancy is so crucial, we hope to keep working with our partners to expand

school readiness to include children from birth to three years old.

‘Conctusions

Our experience in Connecticut suggests how childcare and Head Start can continue to improve
and develop. The childcare system cannot ignore the critically important years that include
infancy and toddlerhood. The impact and purpose of welfare reform cannot be ignored when it
comes to developing a childcare system that has more slots, more access, and more quality. As
more and more welfare and other parents move into the workplace, childcare for all children,
from infancy onward, needs to be available full-time, including mornings, evenings, and

by


153

model. The author found that children who have participated in a
comprehensive preschool program that continued on through the
second or third grade were far more likely to exhibit competence
in academics and social adjustment than were children who had re-
ceived only a preschool program or only an elementary program.
Other studies have found these same effects, actually studies re-
viewed in my book called “Head Start and Beyond.”

In the early years of Head Start, however, the program was
threatened by the discovery of a fadeout effect. Initial dramatic
gains in IQ scores immediately after children completed a year or
two of Head Start were found 3 or 4 years later to be diminished,
and after that vanished completely.

I have two comments to make on fadeout. First, IQ was the
wrong thing to be measuring. From the beginning, Head Start was
designed to help poor children develop the social competence nec-
essary to make a positive adjustment to school. Head Start takes
a holistic approach to children and school readiness, which includes
health, nutrition, and the child’s need for parental encouragement.

A more accurate assessment of Head Start’s success in achieving
its goals is gained by measuring long-term indicators of social com-
petence, such as placement in regular classrooms rather than spe-
cial education, and reduced incidence of delinquent behavior in ado-
lescence.

On these measures, the Cornell Consortium data, especially the
high scope findings, indicate that preschool intervention has con-
siderable long-term effects. Second, the fadeout effect for IQ is not
at all surprising. The very idea that 1 or even 2 years of special
intervention in a child’s life could ward off the ongoing devastating
effects of poverty is pollyanna thinking, sometimes known as the
inoculation model or a one-time vaccination against poverty.

Instead, to maximize the intellectual and social gains of Head
Start and to prevent fadeout in either domain, I would recommend
a series of linked developmentally appropriate interventions begin-
ning with Early Head Start, followed by Head Start, which in turn
is followed by a high quality program in the early grades of school.

For someone who has studied children for 40 years, it is gratify-
ing to see that policymakers are using our scientific knowledge
base to establish effective programs and policies for children and
families.

Olivia Golden and Helen Taylor should be commended for taking
the road map laid out by the bipartisan Committee on Head Start
Quality and Expansion, and working very hard to improve Head
Start’s quality. The new performance standards are just one exam-
ple of their wonderful efforts.

Due to their efforts, new performance standards for Head Start
now cover services for infants and toddlers. Early Head Start is a
prime example of the new conventional wisdom that the best pro-
grams for children involve both the parents and their children.

We might ask why it has taken 33 years since the launching of
Head Start to mount a sizable high quality program for disadvan-
taged infants and toddlers. But at long last we have a program for
very young children that insists on quality and is well grounded in
our knowledge of human development. Thank you.

(The prepared statement of Dr. Zigler follows:]


FAIRFIELD

COUNTY EDITION

CONNECTICUT POST.

The Newspaper with a Difference

rae 1.78

Who cares for the kids?

46

(voter no. sea 108 Paces ee



6

Let me conclude by saying, Mr. Chairman, that I strongly believe
that we can reverse this by having enrichment programs that begin
in the third or fourth grade. And let us not put the entire burden
on Head Start.

Again, Mr. Chairman, let me thank you for holding this impor-
tant hearing in Norwalk, CT. And I look forward to hearing the
testimony of our witnesses, so that we can go back to Washington
and begin to take care of business. Thank you very much.

{The prepared statement of Hon. Edolphus Towns follows:]


40

communities. Professionals and academics concemed with child care and child
development will look forward to new information coming from research on the effects
of Early Head Star/Head Start combination for children who are fortunate enough to go
through both programs. I would also advocate that greater attention be paid to Head
Start’s impact on the community. For example, at ABCD a full one-third of our Head
Start staff are former or current Head Start parents. ‘The meaningful involvement of
Head Start parents in their child's education and setting policy for the program leads
many to set and achieve personal goals for themselves which might have been impossible
without involvement in the Head Start program. Attached to my writen testimony is a
brief personal story by ABCD's Assistant Director for Social Services and Parent
Involvement, herself a former Head Start parent. Ms. Powell, a well-known and highly
respected leader in Bridgeport has been influential in the city-wide movement for
parental empowerment. Her efforts and those of women like her have had significant
effects on all the major institutions and sectors of the city. Indeed, rather than any “fade-
out" of the effects of Head Start on them, these parents have grown more knowledgeable,
confident and effective in positively influencing the broader community and inspiring
other low-income parents and families to reach higher. I hope you will read ber account
contained in Attachment 3. I believe the positive effects of parental involvement that
many of us have witnessed will, no doubt, hold true for even younger mothers and fathers
of Barly Head Start infants and toddlers.

I would like to close by pointing to scientific findings on the need to stimulate
babies brains. Over the last several years a handful of foundations and charities have
begun drawing on research that has found that a child's experiences in the first three years
hhave a deep and lasting effect on how the brain develops and functions (The Chronicle of
Philanthropy, 1998). Until recently, it was not widely believed that the brains of human
infants could be so active and so complex. Nor did we realize how flexible the brain is.
‘Only 15 years ago, neuroscientists assumed that by the time babies are born, the structure
of their brains is genetically determined. They did not recognize that the experiences that
fill a baby's first days, months and years have such a decisive impact on the architecture
of her brain, or on the nature and extent of her adult capacities. Nor did they appreciate
the extent to which young children actively participate in their own brain development by
signaling their needs to caregivers and by responding selectively to different kinds of
stimulation.

Today, thanks in part to decades of research on brain chemistry and sophisticated
‘new technologies, neuroscience is providing evidence for assertions that would have

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 11


120

This year we plan to award $120 million to fund new programs to
serve an additional 17,000 children.

Designed with the help of a distinguished advisory committee,
which included Professor Zigler on this panel, Early Head Start
acts on the expanding base of knowledge of how infants and tod-
dlers grow and learn, on the rewards and key elements of success-
ful prevention programs in the first years of life, and on the sub-
stantial and long-term costs of failing to support very young chil-
dren and their families.

Certainly, the most astonishing component of this research base
is new revelations about the pathways and processes of brain de-
velopment in infancy. We know more than ever about how very
young children learn to understand and use language, and how
their early relationships with parents, family members, and care
givers shape their long-term social and emotional development.

Based on this knowledge, Early Head Start’s primary goals are
to enhance children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive de-
velopment; enable parents to be better care givers and teachers for
their children; and help parents meet their own goals, as you heard
in the previous panel, including improving their own education and
economic self-sufficiency.

Each Early Head Start Program carries out a locally designed
program of services in order to meet these goals. Programs offer
high quality child care and early education, family support serv-
ices, home visits, parent education, comprehensive health and men-
tal health services, and nutrition.

Local agencies receive grants to operate Early Head Start based
on an open, national competitive process. School districts, nonprofit
community agencies, colleges and universities, local governments,
mental health and health service organizations are among the or-
ganizations providing services through Early Head Start.

My testimony today will focus on three core principles that em-
body our approach to managing Early Head Start. First, our com-
prehensive strategy to ensure program quality. Second, our flexible
approach to local program design. And third, our stimulation of
State and local initiatives based on the Early Head Start model.

Our commitment to program quality begins with the Head ‘Start
program’s performance standards. And I was delighted to hear the
comments on those standards in the last panel. As required in’ our
last reauthorization, the Head Start Bureau completed a com-
prehensive revision of the performance standards that included for
the first time standards for serving infants, toddlers, and pregnant
women.

Based on input from thousands of early childhood experts and
practitioners, the performance standards set forth consistent high
quality expectations for program services, organization, and man-
agement.

To take one example, these standards require Early Head Start
staff to earn a nationally recognized training credential, the child
development associate certificate.

To ensure that programs live up to these standards, we hold pro-
grams accountable for training and technical assistance, and work
with each local agency in a continuous process of program improve-
ment. This year we are sending monitoring teams to review the


19

8 years, which is what Senator Chafee does. Because I do not have
the money to do 3 years for both.

But 1 year, at least 1 year, a parent who is right on the cusp
and maybe could stay at home, and maybe this tax break would be
enough to encourage them to do so. That 1 year is such a critical
year. That if I can at least start there, that we ought to try. And
that is the most important year. So we include that in our bill. I
will not go into all of the pieces of it.

Last, Mr. Chairman, as a part of all of this, I wanted to share
with you. I do not know if you saw this the other day, but it kind
of blew me away. Because again, it goes back to the point that
Rosa was making on Early Head Start. We are really talking about
development issues in here, and Early Head Start is such an im-
portant part of it.

I do not know if you saw this story, but the United Nations did
a survey of paid leave for parents. I am not advocating paid leave.
I authored the family medical leave bill. But it stunned me to dis-
cover that of the 158 nations surveyed, that 152 nations as a na-
tional policy have paid maternity leave. And there are six countries
in the world that i not. They are Lesotho, Swaziland, Papua New
Guinea, and the United States.

I mean, this is mind-boggling to me. And I will leave, if you
would like, this New York Times story. But of 158 nations, only 6
in the world do not provide that kind of nurturing environment for
a pregnant woman carrying a child.

And when you look how people participate in income here, which
was surprising to me in some cases, the study found that women
contribute half or more of family income in about 30 percent of the
households in the nations that were studied. In the United States,
the figure is 55 percent contribute to the income of households.

So providing some sort of safety net there is something that we
ought to be looking at. I realize that this maybe seems like futuris-
tic thinking. But when you realize that only five other countries in
the world——

Mr. Suays. I cannot really put that in perspective. I think of a
country like Mexico. And I do not know. What are they doing? First
off, they have like 50 percent partial employment.

Senator Dopp. I cannot speak of the individual country. I will
leave the article. It says United Nations survey of 152 nations has
found that the United States is 1 of only 6 that does not have a
national policy requiring paid maternity leave.

Mr. SHayS. So this would be good for us to look into.

Senator Dopp. Elizabeth Olsen wrote the piece.

Mr. Suays. I appreciate that.

Senator Dopp. Again, I am not advocating paid leave here. I re-
alize that we could never vote for it at this point. But we ought to
be thinking about how you get to this issue of early development
here. If Frank Lautenberg is right that you have got to get at this
issue a lot earlier if you are going to be successful, we have got to
look at that as well.

So Mr. Chairman, I apologize for taking more time than I prob:
ably should have as an invited guest, but I thank you for doing
this. I think that it is tremendous. We can build some really strong
bipartisan support here. And Nancy cares deeply about these


14

Mr. Suays. I would like to invite Senator Dodd to come and give
words of welcome to this hearing.

I note, Senator, for the record, that you have been, in fact, a na-
tional leader on child care and Head Start programs. And we, in
the House, give some of the record to the fact that you had a chief
of staff named Rosa DeLauro who probably sensitized you to those
issues.

Senator Dopp. This hearing may be bipartisan, but it is never
bicameral like that. [Laughter.]

Welcome, Ed. It is a delight to have you in Connecticut. It is a
thrill that you are up here. In fact, I was at an event last night
in New York for the Connecticut program. The Hole in the Wall
Gang had a fund-raising event last night with a number of our con-
stituents from Connecticut. And if I had known that you were
going to be here this morning, if I had looked at my notes better,

could have driven up with you this morning and come here.

Well, I am thrilled to be here, Mr. Chairman, and I thank you
immensely for asking me to come on by and share some thoughts,
and to welcome Ed Towns, a wonderful Member of Congress. And
obviously, to be with Rosa and Nancy. I commend you for doin;
this. You ought to do this more often. 1 think that it isa wonderful
way for us to bring it back home.

We had a hearing the other day in Hartford on the year 2000
problem. I could not get other Members to come up, but we had an
interesting hearing in a State where these issues are important. So
it is awkward and difficult sometimes to have an official hearing
outside of Washington, but I think it is very worthwhile. And then
to have a tremendous crowd like you have here today of interested
people and real experts in this area, who work at it every day is
a real bonus.

And if we were smart, we would listen to them as we try to
shape policy, the people every day who open doors and try and
make a difference in people’s lives.

And let me join you, Nancy, in commending Jane Johnson. I was
there yesterday at the Ben Franklin School in New Britain with
Don Defonzo, who is part of that program, and Janice Johnson,
who is now running a lot of it. And in fact, I inserted in the Con-
gressional Record a day or two ago a piece on Jane that I brought
to the facility in New Britain yesterday, commending her for tre-
mendous service.

Here was a Head Start mother, who was an attendance organizer
in Mount Pleasant. A Head Start mother, who got a job as a part-
time worker, and ended up becoming the director of the Head Start
in 1981 in New Britain. She died at the young age of 59 years of
age, far too young.

But she made a tremendous difference. Just as an example, as
we all go around our districts and States and visit these places, we
begin to appreciate the tremendous work that people do, and their
dedication. She was a fine example of that in the program. And
New Britain is a great program, and I was pleased to be able to
see it yesterday.

The Head Start children were not in yesterday. It was a holiday.
But the child care programs were there, and I had a chance to talk
to the child care workers and others.


bak a
oa (ne uNORED FIFTH COMORES Sasa
ae Congress of the Vnited States Se
SS House of Representatives aes
a CCOMNCTTEE OM GOVERNMENT REFORM ANO OVERSIGHT Pa

|
7

i

2187 Raveunw House Ornce Buanesa
(Wasranaon, DC 20615-6143

it
i}

i
ip
uit
I

Hi
i
7
WW

!
i
|
I

Statement of Rep. Christopher Shays
February 19, 1998

‘A passionate advocate for early childhood development programs recently told me a story
to illustrate his point: While walking in a forest, two men saw a child floating down the river
toward a waterfall. As the first man waded in to rescue the child, another floated by. Then
another, The second man kept walking. “Where are you going?” the first man asked. “Why
‘aren't you helping me?” The second man answered, “I’m going upstream to keep these children
from falling into the river in the first place.”

Today, this Subcommittee has come upstream to look at a program designed to do just
that. Early Head Start seeks to set a healthy course for infants and toddlers at risk of falling into
the treacherous waters of poor physical, emotional and cognitive development. Building on three
decades of success in Head Start programs for three to five year olds, Early Head Start offers
infants, mothers and families the services and skills needed to stimulate and nurture the youngest
minds at the most critical time, from birth to age three.

Physical science now supports what social science has known for gener Achild’'s
‘earliest encounters, even pre-natal sensory experiences, play a decisive roe i 4g” the brain
for learning, for love, for life. Missed opportunities can never be regained, and the cost of lost
capacity compounds exponentially for the individual and the community with each year of low self
esteem and poor school performance. Early Head Start applies the science of child development
to the art of parenting to protect a priceless, irreplaceable asset: the mind of a child.

In his 1998 budget, the president called for a national debate on child care. And this year
Congress will write legislation to resuthorize the $4.3 billion Head Start program. Both debates
‘will take place as welfare reform puts parents back into the workforce and into the market for
reliable, high-quality child care. Early Head Start should be an option for them.


132

the example and principles of Head Start to create new public and
private initiatives to serve preschool children and their
families. Head Start has spread the word and shown the way
through research, through national efforts to set standards and
create materials, and through the everyday example of Head Start
staff members making a difference in the lives of our most

vulnerable children, families and neighborhoods.

I expect that Barly Head Start will play a similar role in
stimulating other public and private initiatives for infants and
toddlers. Toward that end, we are beginning a new emphasis on
partnerships with other public and private agencies involved in
child care, health services, community development, and education
reform, We are reaching out to work with State and local
governments to stimulate others to invent their own ways to
provide more young children with the opportunity for safe,
healthy development and learning. For example, last month we
announced the beginning of a five-year $16 million public-private
partnership with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to provide
intensive training to local staff teams in working with infants

and toddlers with disabilities and their families. This

initiative will strengthen Barly Head Start services as well as
stimulate improvements in other local programs. We are also
working closely with States such as Oklahoma, Kansas and
Minnesota as they design State programs based on the Early Head

Start model and performance standards.

10


110

Contents

Overview
Position Statement
Data

Issues

Funding
Programs/Grants:

> Child Nutrition Program

> Even Start Family
Literacy Program

> Family Resource Centers

+ Head Start Grant

Program
> Preschool Grants
Program

> Young Parents Program
> Birth-to-Throe Early
Intervention Program

Collaborative Efforts
Initiatives and Actions
Appendices

p38
pat
PAT
p23
p27
p.29

p32
p.35

p37

p.40
p43

PAS
P49

p. 83
p57

The
Early Childhood
Agenda
in
Connecticut

Role of the State Board of Education

Sec. 10-4, C.G.S. Duties of board. Reports. Com-
prehensive plan for elementary, secondary, vo-
cational, career and adult education. (a) Said
board shall have general supervision and control of
the educational interests of the state, which inter-
ests shall include preschool, elementary and sec-
ondary education, special educaticn, vocational edu-
cation and adult education...

1996



69

that has been successful throughout the years. The child and the
family are viewed together in respect to nutrition, health issues,
dental care, child development, mental health and parent
education. Each member of the family has an integral role in the”
ability of the family to live healthy, successful lives and contribute
to the community.

The essence of the Head Start and Early Start model is family
development capitalizing on family strengths. These strengths are
the foundation for building the family. The foundation to enhance
the families’ skills and knowledge is laid. Parent education in the
areas of health, child development, literacy and nutrition begin to
fill the family’s “tool box” for use immediately or in the future.

Activities planned by parents provide opportunities to support and
enhance their parental role as the principal influence in their
child’s education and development. Parents are given an
opportunity to lean such things as various approaches to child
rearing, ways to stimulate and enhance their children’s total
development, ways to tum their child’s everyday experiences into
constructive learning experiences and specific information about
community resources. The parents are given the necessary support
(such as role modeling and materials) to maintain a positive
learning environment for their child in their home.

Head Start and Early Start include family literacy supporting the
parent as the first teacher. Family literacy activities are provided
in environments that encourage skill development between the two
generations. Studies show that being functionally illiterate reduces
job opportunities which then continue a cycle of poverty and
unemployment. The inability to read can effect how parents
navigate public school and community systems.

Parents who experienced failure in school are less apt to participate
in literacy activities and are skilled in hiding their inabilities and


24

fants and toddlers points out that staff development of line staff
and supervisors should include training, mentoring, coaching and
supervision. This will prepare staff to function as part of an inte-
grated team that includes staff, parents, and community partners.

This leads to the issue of fade-out of Head Start achievement. In
“Early Educational Intervention With Disadvantaged Children—To
What Effect?”, Ramey and Ramey point out that positive learning
experiences are not sufficient in themselves to ensure that a child
will be able to perform well through all of their school years. “Poor
school environments, suboptimal health, a seriously disrupted
home environment, and many other conditions are known to influ-
ence the behavior of children of all ages.”

They further point out that any study that looks at the long-term
effects of early intervention must look at the environments and ex-
periences of the child following the intervention.

A.J. Sameroff, in “Models of Development and Developmental
Risk,” talks about the relationship between the capabilities of a
person and the stress and support that is available in their envi-
ronment. When we are talking about the development of children,
we must consider the impact of the environment on the child.

Sameroff points out that children who experience a poor family
and social environment at 1 with no change in that environment
by the time the child is 13 may have a reduced ability to achieve
a high level of competence. He further states, “Whatever the capa-
bilities provided to a child by individual factors, it is the environ-
ment that limits the opportunities for development.” What
Sameroff is saying speaks directly to the issue of fadeout. Interven-
tion is necessary as long as the risk remains.

Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Doolan follows:]


143

we have accomplished here in Connecticut has been derived from examples that we have seen in
Head Start. And much of what we have learned and completed in the area of early childhood

develcpment can benefit existing and potential Head Start programs

Dr. Edward Zigler, who will testify today, has been a great pioneer and educator in the field of
what is now being called “brain research.” What the research has shown, and shown
conclusively, is that action and activity presented to children, from infancy onward, stimulate
brain activity, promote intellectual and social skills, and -- what is pethaps most critical -
actually promote literal, physiological brain growth. When it comes to social, familial, and
cultural policy, it becomes incumbent for all of us to recognize that a child’s “education” should
actually begin before first grade, before kindergarten, before nursery school, and before
toddlerhood. Indeed, it should begin at infancy. Once this fact is affirmed and acknowledged, it
becomes clear that the childcare, especially during the early years, must be systemically and
culturally integrated with early childhood development and education. And it becomes
especially clear that this principle must apply to children who -- because of poverty or any other

reason ~ are at risk, as well as children who are mentally, physically, or emotionally challenged.

Fortunately for all of us, much of what we have done here in Connecticut has been derived from
the pre-existing examples that we have seen over the past 30 years since Head Start was
launched. In this regard, itis important to note that Head Start’s programs and practices tie into,
buttress, and found what is now an emerging trend, one that Connecticut has taken the lead on

7


10

ing hearing this morning. And to look out at this crowd, you can
easily sense the great things that are being done in Connecticut,
but also the interest that surrounds this whole issue of preschool
care, Head Start, or Early Head Start.

I am honored to be here with the ranking member of the sub-
committee, Ed Towns—welcome, we are glad to have you in Con-
necticut—and to be here with my colleague, Nancy Johnson.

I also want to mention and say good morning to our colleague,
Senator Dodd, who is truly a great leader in our State and a leader
in the Congress on children’s issues, and was instrumental in the
Early Head Start Program and its creation in the 1994 Head Start
reauthorization.

I had the honor of working with Chris Dodd a number of years
ago, not that many years ago, Senator. And I watched year in and
year out as he pioneered child care legislation, and he pioneered
the family and medical leave legislation, two pieces I think of legis-
lation which in fact represent ‘the plight of working families in our
State and our country today.

I was privileged to be a Member of Congress in 1994 and to vote
yes for the legislation that created the Early Head Start Program.
It is exciting to be in 1998, to see what the program has become,
and what it is doing for the 37,000 children and families that it
serves. Our foresight in creating Early Head Start was confirmed
this year by the new scientific research that my colleague, Chris
Shays, mentioned, that shows the amazing brain growth and devel-
opment which takes place during the first 3 years of life.

It really has reaffirmed what parents and grandparents knew in-
tuitively. But we do have that body of information. It reaffirms how
critically important these first years are. And we have no time to
waste when it comes to helping our young children learn.

In fact, those of us who serve in public life, if we wind up taking
that body of information with all of its depth about those first 3
years of life, if we take that and put it on a shelf and nothing hap-
pens, then quite frankly we are derelict in our duty and what peo-
ple have put their faith and trust in us to do. We know how chil-
dren learn, and we know the importance of quality child develop-
ment in those first years.

We recognize that the success of the program and its expansion
thus far is no accident. It is directly attributable to the hard work
of local program directors, staff, and parents, such as those who are
joining us here today.

It is also attributable to the oversight and support of the admin-
istration on children and families. Gnder the leadership of Sec-
retary Shalala and Assistant Secretary Golden, 200 poor perform-
ing Head Start programs, that were not serving families have been
closed down, as it should be. If they are not performing, they
should be shut down.

Monitoring and technical support has been intensified. Parents
have been more intimately involved in decisionmaking.

But as Members of the Congress that created Head Start, it is
part of our responsibility to ensure that it is being run efficiently,
and that children and parents are receiving the education and the
support that they need. That the highest quality grant applications
are being funded, and that programs receive the technical assist-


141

acknowledges that an increase in the number of welfare parents who enter the workforce must be
attended by an increase in childcare access and quality. And we are meeting that challenge. For
instance, in 1994, Connecticut spent approximately $28 million on childcare. In the current
‘year, we will be spending approximately $153 million, benefiting about 30,000 children (up
42% from the year before). To meet the projected increase in the need for childcare, we will
continue working with Head Start and other agencies to expand the hours, times, days, and slots
for childcare, We also will keep working to establish and increase high-standards for quality and

safety across the state.

Connection between healthcare and childcare

Connecticut also has affirmed that strong and independent families need healthy children
Beyond serving families on welfare, Connecticut has made sure that medical services are
available for children up to 185% of the poverty level. Connecticut also has made sure that
needed medical services are still available when a family moves off welfare. Just as critically,
we have affirmed that the intellectual and emotional development of children should not be
separated from their physical development. Our “whole person” approach to early childhood
ensures that children receive virtually all of the allowable medical services, including

immunizations and preventative care, especially in the context of childcare

But we can do more, and with our HUSKY plan, Connecticut’s own Title XXI program, more is
what we will do. As you know, it is painful for the mother or father who can’t help a child

5


184

So I would certainly hope that to contextualize the whole thing
that you would take the broadest possible view of the total needs
of children. That you assume that if there is a political will that
is available, that we do have the resources, and it is a question of
a mindset. And to move forward in a way that is very comprehen-
sive. Thank you.

Mr. Suays. Thank you.

Dr. Zigler, that triggered a question that I wanted to ask earlier.
Even Head Start is out of the Department of Education. Head
Start is out of HHS.

Is the difference that if it is out of HHS that we are trying to
have a more holistic approach, looking at health care and day care?

Dr. ZIGLER. Yes. There was an effort, by the way, by President
Carter to move Head Start to the Department of Education, and
that failed, finally.

Mr. Suays. Was it good that it failed?

Dr. ZIGLER. I testified against the move. I am not very objective,
but it was a mistake. There are two things that Education does not
do that Head Start does very well, two things. One is parental in-
volvement. Look at title I, and the problems they have had there.
The second is the whole notion of comprehensive services, health
and social services.

So the feeling always was that if you just send it to the Depart-
ment of Education, that it would simply become an early education
program. So you have got the difference, I think, well conceptual-
ized.

Ms. THOMAS. Congressman, may I make a statement?

Mr. Suays. Sure.

Ms. THomas. Here in the State of Connecticut, the Head Start
Program is in the State department of education, and it has been
for a number of years. It was transferred over from the department
of social services.

Mr. SHays. But the Head Start programs are not in the local
boards of education. They are in NEON, and they are in ABCD.

Ms. THOMAS. At the local level, they have not changed a whole
lot. But the issue that I am trying to make here is that in terms
of the other comprehensive human services and social services that
go along with the Head Start Program, that those pieces of it, no
matter where it is, whether it is in education, or in health and
human services, it has to remain intact at the very local level.

Those are the critical pieces of it. In this State, it is in the State
department of education. And they have figured out a way to make
it work.

Mr. Suays. You could handle it, if it was put back in your de-
partment, right?

Ms. THOMAS. I could handle that, sure. But do not tell Pat Surgie
that I said that, OK?

Mr. Suays. I will not, but I am sure that someone else will.

All right.

Ms. MALONE. Thank you very much. I am Dr. June Malone, and
I am senior coordinator of child development for ABCD in Bridge-
port, CT. And I just wanted to make two very brief points with re-
gard to fadeout.


29

Mr. SuHays. Pat, thank you.

Elaine.

Ms. LIBERTO. Congressman Shays, and honorable members of the
Subcommittee on Human Resources, and guests, I am Elaine
Liberto, director of Head Start and Child Care for ABCD, Inc., in
Bridgeport, CT. I oversee a program which serves over 700 children
and families in and around Bridgeport, the largest city in Connecti-
cut.

In this summary testimony, I will first, urge the subcommittee
to protect funding for Early Head Start and Head Start. And sec-
ond, demonstrate Bridgeport’s need for early child care services.
And third, will comment on findings in the field of brain research
and child development.

There is an old adage that says that an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure. Are we not fortunate that Head Start
speaks to the issue of prevention, and in fact has a proven track
record for success in areas associated with reduction of teen preg-
nancy, reduction of incarceration, and reduction of reliance on pub-
lic assistance.

Parents who may not be able to provide the stimulation and posi-
tive early childhood experiences, which absolutely are necessary for
the child’s growth and future success, are offered the opportunity
through Head Start’s comprehensive program.

For example, we offer a family literacy program run in corrobora-
tion with Fairfield University. This program provides a total lit-
eracy-rich classroom environment, and involves parents as parents.
All components promote language development and communication
between child and parent.

Now as most people are moving off the welfare roll, providing
quality child care will be key to helping parents make this transi-
tion. But the cost of doing this is not cheap, however. Some studies
have shown that every dollar that we spend on prevention saves
us $5.

What makes Head Start different from other approaches to child
care? Well, the Head Start model takes a holistic approach that en-
courages empowerment and self-sufficiency as major goals. By pro-
viding quality comprehensive services to children and families in
an efficient cost effective model, Head Start addresses some of the
underlying causes associated with poverty.

In my written testimony is a personal account written by one of
ABCD’s senior staff, a former welfare mother and now one of
Bridgeport’s most prominent community leaders. Marge Powell, I
would like you to stand up, please. [Applause.]

Marge is a leader of the citywide parent leadership organization.
Her story demonstrates the long-term impact on the lives of chil-
dren, families, and on the entire community.

Are you aware that a third of Bridgeport’s children live in pov-
erty? There are 7,000 under 3 years of age in this city, but there
are only 336 child care spaces for this age group. For those lucky
enough to find a slot, child care costs represent one-third of the
family’s budget. It is really sad that the largest child care provider
in Connecticut's largest city that ABCD has no slots for infants and
toddlers ages 0 to 3.


166

comes from. That plus all of the other institutions that you men-
tioned.

Remember that these children often live in violent communities.
They continue to live in poverty with all of the developmental risks
that such a life entails. So we have to get away. You know, we for-
get that we are still victims of what I think is 1960’s theorizing.
People forget that the first Head Start Program was 6 weeks long.
We actually thought that we could do all of that in 6 weeks.

We have learned a lot since then. And I can guarantee you that
you cannot do it in 6 years, and you cannot do it in a year either.
That is why, as I said in my testimony, if you really want to have
impact on poor children who have all of these negative experiences
throughout their lives, start with a program from 0 to 3, follow it
with a really good program from 3 to 5, and then follow that with
a really very good elementary school program in the first 3 or 4
years of school.

If you have that kind of a dovetailed intervention, all of our evi-
dence indicates that then you see really robust improvement in
these children.

Mr. Towns. Thank you very much, Dr. Zigler.

Yes, Ms. Greene.

Ms. GREENE. I would like to make two comments. One is that
one of the goals of Head Start, the most important goal, is to pro-
vide children with the experience, so they can enter school ready
to learn. I think that there is overwhelming research and studies
to show that works.

I think that to keep looking to Head Start as to why fadeout hap-
pens in the second, and third, and fourth grades is looking at the
wrong place. I think that Dr. Zigler articulated a beautiful example
of what happens in the schools, et cetera.

Second, there are so many other aspects of Head Start that make
it work for children and families that is not in the cognitive area.
And fadeout I think primarily looks at that area. There have been
thousands of children over the years where major health problems
have been discovered and corrected because of Head Start, thus
making the ready throughout life. Those kinds of things do not
leave children in second and third grade.

Many of the other kinds of services, social services, nutritional
services, those things are part of that child, and they need them
at that time for growth and development. And they are still part
of them forever.

So I think that we ought to look beyond just Head Start as to
what happens in that one area when they get into school, when
they get into second, third, and fourth grades. They enter ready to
learn. Elementary principals tell us this all of the time, and there
are studies that indicate that.

Mr. Towns. Are there other comments?

Ms. Tuomas. Yes, I would like to address that. This issue of fade-
out, which is actually one that I have just very recently become fa-
miliar with, where children actually begin to lose learning as they
leave the Head Start Program and go into school, I guess that from
my Perspective that I just want to kind of echo much of what has

en said.




98

ing into Head Start. And every parent needs to be provided with
that opportunity to continue to succeed.

And the only difference, I think, is I have become empowered
enough through Early Intervention and Head Start to now be the
one who carries those teachings, as I pointed out, into my public
school. If public school is not ready to be a partner with me, then
it is going to be very hard for me to become involved.

I could leave here today and go and participate in my son’s class-
room, go into the health center, do anything that I wanted to in
that school. I could walk up to the principal’s office and have a one-
on-one conversation with him. And he would probably ask what I
did yesterday afternoon. And that is unlike other schools, like I
said, in my surrounding community.

And I think truly parents, teachers, staff, whether it be adminis-
trators or whomever, really have to be in partnership to bring on
the total package to the child. And as I pointed out, you cannot
hold Head Start responsible for that, because it is different in each
community.

Ms. NORGREN. Most of our children have had only 1 year of Head
Start. Because of funding, we have really prioritized it for 4 year
olds. So 1 year might be 160 days. It is not a lot of days compared
to that child’s life.

Ms. LiBERTO. The other issue is in relating to the ingredients
that make a successful program, that professional development and
quality of staff and continuity of care is a critical issue. So we
would like to have low turnover of staff.

And one of the issues I think that we all have to look at is how
much are we paying our teachers. And even in Bridgeport when
you compare the beginning teacher's salary of $30,000 to a Head
Start salary of maybe $14,000 to $16,000, the discrepancy and dis-
parity is so much.

So after our teachers are trained, they probably will not stay in
the field unless we really treat them like a professional and a para-
professional, and give them the resources and the development,
and make their salaries at least commensurate with technical peo-
ple in that area.

Mr. Towns. Let me just ask one more question here, Mr. Chair-
man. I think you can see where I am going. Ninety percent of the
children served by Head Start are from extremely disadvantaged
backgrounds.

If we do not have a program like Head Start, what kind of out-
look would these children face?

I want you to arm me. Because we have a fight down in Wash-
ington, you know. And I will go back to Washington and quote you.

Ms. SULLIVAN. I would not be sitting here. I would not be sitting
here. I came from a family, as my testimony stated, coming from
a middle-income family does not mean anything, if the family is
dysfunctional. And coming through that sort of situation and being
thrust into the public welfare system and all of that. And if I had
not had the comprehensive services and the support of Head Start,
and truly Head Start being a family and a foundation for me and
my son, then we really truly would not be where we are today.

Mr. Towns. Does anyone else want to comment on that?


140

disability), we operate the Community Services Block Grant and the Social Services Block
Grant. We also provide Legal Services, Nutritional Assistance, Housing Assistance, Heating &
Utilities Assistance, medical services, General Assistance, and a multitude of services that relate

to homelessness and housing.

Connection between childcare and welfare reform

It is impossible to look at the field of childcare and early-childhood development without
considering the effect of welfare reform. As you know, Connecticut has had tremendous success
in moving families from welfare dependence to independence and self-sufficiency through
employment, Through a combination of a 21-month deadline and a generous package of support
and incentives, we have helped thousands of people escape the dead-end that was welfare. As of
January, 1998, over 46% of our caseload were reporting earnings. Currently, About 1,000
families a month break free from welfare because of increased earnings. And we have exceeded
the federal work-participation rates. Yet in all of our success, we have not lost sight of two
facts: About 90,000 of the people who benefit from welfare are children under the age of 13. Of

this number, about 25% are infants and toddlers.

A significant part of our success in welfare reform comes because we have affirmed that parents
need support as they look for and retain employment, particularly in the area of childcare. It has
been projected that within the next two years, 26,000 families transitioning from cash assistance
will need childcare. This will lead to a demand for 35,000 childcare slots. Connecticut

4


91

We began receiving weekly home visits by an interventionist. She would
help me focus on strategies and techniques I could use to help enhance his
development at home. Much of the interventionists work was related to
helping John develop. Early Intervention referred John for many therapy’s,
and soon thereafter he would begin receiving physical, occupational, and
speech therapy.

I was referred to a parent/child playgroup and mother’s support group
sponsored by the program, and at the age of two John would participate in
their integrated preschool program while still continuing to receive home
visits. John would also begin a water therapy program to help stimulate his
social development.

Our weeks became filled with appointments. John’s wellness had now
consumed my life. It was obvious at the time, that I would be unable to
return to work because of John’s needs. I soon realized that along with
receiving Medicaid, the reality of becoming a welfare mom had begun to set
in, I was never treated differently by service providers, but the public
seemed to look at me differently now. Client ID numbers, medical cards and
Food Stamps were now our new way of life. It was hard to ignore the stigma
attached to receiving any kind of public assistance. I would begin to receive
lots of aid to assist John and I through a hard time. I would receive WIC for
special formula, AFDC to help with living expenses, food stamps to help
provide food for my family, energy assistance to help meet my home heating
needs, and eventually Section 8 assistance to help with housing costs. I am
very grateful today for the system that was available for us and the monetary
help we received. I’m not sure where our family would have been today
without it. I just always tried to keep it in perspective knowing that this was
what I needed to do for my family, and that one-day we would be free from
the public welfare system. At the time I saw these services as an essential
part of helping us to be able to keep a float. I was living day to day, and
week to week. My emotions were forever changing, and I was learning to
deal with a much different reality that I thought we would be facing for our
future.


11

ance that they need to do the best job possible. And that programs
that do not adequately serve kids and families are in fact shut
lown.

That is why those of us who most strongly support Early Head
Start will sometimes ask the toughest questions about how the pro-
gram is running. So that we can make sure that it is doing the best
possible job for our youngest and our most vulnerable kids.

What we are talking about is not a place for youngsters to be put
where they are being babysat. It is child development that we are
talking about here today. That is the direction that we need to take
these programs, if we are to provide our kids with an opportunity
so that they can be successful in their lives.

I look forward with really great excitement listening to testimony
here today and the continued discussion of ideas. Thank you very,
very much.

Mr. SHays. Thank you very much, Rosa.

I would like to get three housekeeping items out of the way. I
ask unanimous consent that all members of the subcommittee be
permitted to place an opening statement, and that the record re-
main open for 3 days for that purpose. And without objection, so
ordered.

And I ask further unanimous consent that all witnesses be per-
mitted to include their written statements in the record. And with-
out objection, so ordered.

And also we have a statement from Congressman Maloney,
which I would like to insert into the record. And without objection,
so ordered.

[The prepared statement of Hon. James H. Maloney follows:]


97

Ms. LIBERTO. On page 10 of the testimony, there are some statis-
tics that compare Bridgeport’s mastery test scores to other commu-
nities around the area. And you see that there is quite a discrep-
ancy. And as I said in the testimony, there are only half of the kids
in Bridgeport that have attended preschool. So how can you at-
tribute the low test scores to whether or not they attended Head
Start or not. That is No. 1.

The second thing in the testimony is that people traditionally
who go to Head Start go to schools that are traditionally again
have per pupil expenditures far lower than other ones. So the com-
parison and evaluation of like people are not there. You are com-
paring the country as a whole to people of traditionally inner city
or people with traditionally lower pupil expenditures.

Mr. Towns, Thank you.

Ms. DOOLAN. I think, Mr. Towns, that the other piece of this is
what you alluded to earlier when you were speaking. And that if
people’s environments have not changed, and we are not support-
ing people beyond 3 years in Head Start to change that environ-
ment, then I do not think that we can expect that intervention
from the ages of 3 to 5 and it is not supported, as Elaine and oth-
ers have said, those years beyond Head Start, then I do not think
that we are comparing apples and apples. I think that we are com-
paring something very different.

And I think that if we are going to talk about what changes do
we need to make, we need to talk about what we are going to do
about the environments that these children come from, and what
are we going to do about low performing schools.

You heard before that we defund, as Representative DeLauro
said, we are now defunding Head Start programs that are not per-
forming. But we are not doing that to public schools. Public schools
go on. I mean that is not an option. I did not mean that it was.
Do not misunderstand me here.

But let’s be honest here. Children go to schools in cities where
they do not have the advantages of higher performing school sys-
tems. So I think that it is hard to say that we can measure these
children and say after 4 years of non-Head Start intervention that
the family support, the social service, the mental health, those
kinds of things. That if that is not happening for that family be-
yond maybe a year or 2 years, maybe 3 years maximum if the child
has been in Head Start that long, if that kind of support does not
remain for the family, for a family that has not become self-suffi-
cient up to that point, then I do not think that we can say that it
is Head Start’s fault that these children are not performing in
fourth grade.

Mr. Towns. Lisa, do you want to add?

Ms. SULLIVAN. I think that throughout my testimony that you
have seen that I have had very unique opportunities that I have
come to realize really over the last couple of years, especially with
my son entering public school. He attends public school which is
made up of 14 towns. But truly, the philosophy of that public
school is unlike others in the surrounding community in which I
live.

I receive comprehensive services in my public school, as I had in
the Head Start Program. And the same as Early Intervention mov-




102

And they are turning to Head Start to help them to find a way to
resolve of the family issues that they face.

But sometimes, even we in Head Start are not equipped. We
need to do better staff development around issues that 5 or maybe
10 years ago that staff did not need to be experts in. We are need-
ing to get our communities to be much more involved and families
much more linked with many more services than when I first came
to Head Start.

So I do not know what the answer is. I do not know what we
need exactly yet. But I think that as we track this at least in our
area, that we will begin to see what programs will be needed.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Probably you need more people who work on de-
veloping a service program for that family and more ancillary serv-
ice dollars.

Ms. DOOLAN. Very possibly more services. I certainly think that
the mental health community is being taxed enormously at least in
our area, the child clinic at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Jane.

Ms. NorGREN. Representative Johnson, everyone could speak elo-
quently about children who are having a very hard time being chil-
dren. But one interesting thing is, and I have been with the Child
Care Center since 1985, in 1988 we had the first child who was on
a ventilator, because of asthma. And this was a preschool child.
This year, 4 out of our 16 babies are on ventilators. This is for
asthma, and these are babies, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 2 months old, who
are needing this so they can breathe. If they cannot breathe, they
cannot eat, and are in tremendous problems.

Mrs. JOHNSON. And who pays for that?

Ms. NorGREN. Well, these children are on the certificate program
in the State of Connecticut.

Mrs. JOHNSON. So they have Medicaid support?

Ms. NoRGREN. They have Medicaid support. And we have actu-
ally some tremendous support from our local pediatricians. We
happen to be next door to our Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center.
So we have a lot of support from the Birth to Three Program.

The parents of these four babies are all teen parents. Now do I
know what the reason is? No. And are these children going to move
into our Early Head Start? Yes. But it is an environmental issue.
There are issues that are way beyond what is happening with fami-
lies. These families are from the area right around the turnpike.
Is there more air pollution? There are lots of things happening.

Mrs. JOHNSON. If we could keep it a little narrower.

Ms. NorcrEn. Right.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Is there more need for substance abuse treat-
ment, because you do get parents involved that others do not? Is
there more domestic violence, and do you have the resources to
deal with that? Do you have more troubled children?

Ms. NorGREN. We have lots of troubled children.

Ms. LiserTO. We have found that we have an increase substan-
tially in that. And sometimes when we are planning, we have to
make sure that the classroom is in special needs with the other
children being in the minority when we plan our classroom.

Right now, we have a little more than 400 cases, and we have
close to 89 that are diagnosed special needs. And it is important


118

Mr. Towns. Litchfield County.

Ms. Doo.aNn. The largest city is Torrington, and the population
is under 30,000.

Mr. Towns. Because you have 191 slots, and I wanted to know
the population of the county.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Torrington is only about 27,000. And many of the
towns up in the northwest corner have a total population of under
2,500. So one of our problems is that our families needing Head
Start are very scattered. And so we actually only have Pat’s pro-
gram as a Head Start Program. Then we have a Head Start in
Torrington, one in Bristol, one in New Britain, and one in Enfield.

There is under a handful of Head Start programs in the 44 towns
that I represent. So the Early Start, and the State programs, and
the voucher programs are very, very important to me. I have some
excellent Head Start centers. Down in New Milford, I had an excel-
lent Head Start center. And it does serve the State, but it is not
a Head Start center. It also has-a tremendous family involvement
program.

So I am very interested in Head Start, because it is a fantastic
model. And if we are not able to get parents involved, we are not
going to succeed. And if we are not able to reach out to younger
children, we are not going to succeed.

But some of the other programs that are modeled on Head Start
but funded either by us or the State are also a little more flexible.
And that is important in their areas as well.

So I really look forward to the information that we have got.
And, Lisa, since you are going to work with all of these kinds of
programs, you can be very helpful to is in evaluating how we make
sure that Head Start is the right model and grows and develops at
the pace that we need it to help all of our communities. Thank you.

Mr. Towns. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank all of the wit-
nesses. They have been extremely helpful, and I really appreciate
the time and effort. And thank you very, very much.

Mr. Suays. Do any of you have any last word? Was there a ques-
tion that you wish we had asked?

(No response.]

Mr. SHAYS. Well, your statements were superb. And your re-
sponses to the questions were very helpful, and very interesting as
well. You are doing great work, and we appreciate you sharing it
with us.

And we are going to adjourn this hearing, and start the second
half of our hearing at about 1 o'clock. I would point out to you that
we have Olivia Golden, the Assistant Secretary of Administration
for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, from Washington; Joyce Thomas, Commissioner of the
Connecticut Department of Social Services, Hartford; Dr. Edward
Zigler, really the father of Head Start; and Sarah Greene, the chief
executive officer of the National Head Start Association.

So we have a great panel to look forward to. And we would invite
anyone to stay who would like to. Thank you very much. And we
will adjourn for about 15 minutes.

{Recess.]

Mr. SHays. I would like to call this hearing to order and invite
our second panel to come up. As the panel knows, we will be swear-


65

Mr. Suays. Elaine, thank you.

Dona.

Ms. Ditri0. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am Dona
Ditrio, and I am a director of a Head Start program sponsored by
Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now [NEON], a community action
agency. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today.

As you are aware, Head Start was launched in 1965 as a 6-week
summer program. Subsequently, it was expanded to a full-year
part-day program for low income program and facilities. The pov-
erty experienced in the 1960’s is unlike the poverty of the 1990's.
Families are different. Communities are different. Technologies
such as computers and TV bring us across the world in seconds.
Environments, both neighborhood and in the home, are fluid and
often chaotic. We have more single parents.

These characteristics coupled with the welfare to work effort re-
sult in families being pulled in many directions. Balancing family
demands with working full-time is a skill in itself, even for adults
with years of experience and support systems.

Head Start and Early Head Start need the challenges of the
1990’s by maintaining the comprehensive holistic family develop-
ment model that has been successful throughout the years. The
child and the family are viewed together with respect to nutrition,
health, dental care, child development, mental health, possible dis-
abilities, and parent education. Each member of the family has an
integral role in the ability of the family to live healthy and success-
ful lives, and contribute to the community.

The essence of the Head Start and Early Head Start model is
family development capitalizing on family strengths, which are the
foundation for building the family. Parent education fills the fami-
ly’s toolbox.

Activities planned by parents provide opportunities to support
and enhance their parental role as the principal influence in their
child’s education and development.

Head Start and Early Head Start include family literacy support-
ing the parent as the first teacher. Family literacy activities are
provided in environments that encourage skill development be-
tween the two generations. Studies show that being functionally il-
literate reduces job opportunities, which then continue a cycle of
poverty and unemployment.

The inability to read can affect how parents navigate public
schools and community systems. Literacy skills become integral to
the family toolbox.

Also in the family toolbox is information and supported practice
in negotiating health management organizations, public school sys-
tems, and social service agencies, which are often frustrating and
exhausting to families. Without skills and patience, it is easy just
to give up.

Learning to advocate for oneself is critical. Head Start and Early
Head Start link the family to community services and reduce dupli-
cation.

Head Start and Early Head Start build families when they re-
spect family values and culture as well as recognize that informa-
tion or skills acquired in the program may not be fully utilized
until a later day.


val

goals and serve as a model for other early childhood programs.
Performance Standards reflect best practice in early childhood as
well as family support. Programs strive to provide quality
services.

Various bodies of research suggest that Head Start has been
successful. The program has immediate positive effects on
cognitive and socioemotional development; persistent effects on
preparing children to succeed in school; significant influence on
improving children’s physical health, motor coordination and
development, and nutrition; positive effects on parents; and strong
influences on community institutions to meet the needs of low-
income families and their children.

Head Start has strong immediate effects on the cognitive and
socioemotional development of young children. These effects are
both statistically and educationally meaningful. Over time it
appears that test score differences between Head Start and non-
Head Start children fade.

It is critical to keep in mind Head Start and Early Start’s goal is to
serve the “poorest of the poor,” the most economically and
cognitively disadvantaged children. There is no evidence of
“creaming” during enrollment. Head Start works diligently to
provide opportunities for children to become school ready. The
National Goal of School Readiness and the National Task Force on
School Readiness provides focus for the country. State school
readiness initiatives (such as Connecticut’s) heighten awareness on
the key indicators of a child’s readiness to learn physical
development, social development language development and
general knowledge (Connecticut School Readiness Summit, p.2 &
3).

Sharon Lynn Kagan’s research (1991) identifies differences in the
pedagogy, philosophy, and structure of public schools versus Head


16

And if you do not have those electrical connections made, then
they are lost forever. Unfortunately, they are lost forever. It is in-
teresting, but it doesn’t ever come back. So you have to use them
or you'll lose them forever.

We now know categorically when motor skills occur, when var-
ious bodily functions occur, those synapses. We do not know about
human development as much and behavioral questions. Those are
mysterious to us. Except we know that they occur in that rough
timeframe, maybe a little further than 36 months, but not much.

And so the critical days are during the pregnancy, the caring,
and the health care needs, and then the earliest days of these chil-
dren’s lives.

I will tell you something quickly and interesting. It may provoke
you. You were talking about the issues as you perceive them.
Frank Lautenberg, who is a colleague of all of us from New Jersey,
told me an interesting story the other day. He and some partners
of his founded a very successful company. It was ADT, and it did
very, very well. And Frank and his partners came from poor cir-
cumstances in New Jersey. And they decided a number of years
ago to do what other businesses have done, and went back and
adopted a school, and adopted a class, and made the offer to fourth
and fifth graders in the school that any one of those who complete
high school, their college education is paid for. We are going to pay
for their high school education. It got a lot of attention.

They did this back in the 1970's. Not a single child took advan-
tage of that offer in that school. And what to him was the realiza-
tion, was that it was too late. In the fourth and fifth grade, it was
too late.

And that is what we really have got to come to terms with here.
If you say to the fourth and fifth graders that we are going to pay
for your college education, that sounds wonderful to us. Because we
could just imagine jumping at that opportunity. But in the class-
rooms where they were in poor communities in New Jersey, and
the children were not getting the support and backing that they
needed, they never saw it as part of their own vision of the future,
even with someone saying I am going to write the check for you,
for 4 years, to any college you can get into, it is paid for. And not
one took advantage of it.

So the earlier that we get involved here, if you need to know cat-
egorically whether or not there is a value in it, obviously I think
that story and others point it out.

Of course, we get very, very prideful about Head Start in Con-
necticut with great justification. Ed Zigler in Connecticut was the
founder and the father of Head Start at the Yale Child Study Cen-
ter 40 years ago. And so there is a parochial involvement here that
warrants the participation of a hearing in Connecticut today given
the initiation of where it has come from.

And today, we know that there are 173 local Early Head Start
programs serving 22,000 children in the country. And you are going
to later hear that Connecticut just last year received its first Early
Head Start projects.

It is working with parents to ensure that infants and toddlers
have a rich, stimulating, healthy environment. I have got to state
the obvious that the best teacher and the best care giver is a well


160

The Federal Government has a huge responsibility in addressing
the needs of low income families and their children in the post-wel-
fare reform environment. Growth of early Head Start, enough to
serve each community's needs, should be encouraged in both law
and practice. This will give low income families the training and
support that they need to enter the work force, and at the same
time provide for the educational, health, and nutritional develop-
mental needs of the children.

Federal oversight must ensure that growth of the Early Head
Start Program occurs at a reasonable rate in order that quality is
not adversely impacted. In addition, the Federal Government must
continue efforts to convince States to work with Head Start, part-
ner with the program to provide full day and full year services, and
employ Head Start as a model after which other early childhood
programs are designed.

The Association recognizes over the years that Head Start has
grown more than double in the last 5 to 6 years, while the adminis-
trators of the program staffing has decreased, and this should be
corrected.

In conclusion, a general commitment of Early Head Start means
that it will be necessary to provide ample staff at the Head Start
Bureau and regional offices throughout the country to handle the
growth of the program, and the mentoring and monitoring of the
program.

Additional spending will be required at the local level for facili-
ties, staff, training, and other costs. We must keep in mind that the
cost of serving each Early Head Start child is higher than that for
older children enrolled in regular Head Start.

Clearly, we are taking a real investment here. But let’s ask our-
selves three questions. Given what we already know about the im-
portance of early years, can we afford to do nothing? Knowing that
an investment in children is an investment in the future, can we
say no to those children currently unable to receive Head Start or
Early Head Start services? Three, can we as an enlightened Nation
continue to talk about the importance of children without ade-
quately funding those services proven to make a difference?

I leave the committee to ponder these three questions. Thank you
for the opportunity to testify.

(The prepared statement of Ms. Greene follows:]


99

Ms. NorcrReEN. Mr. Towns, I think that we have all heard and
worried about the underclass. And I am afraid that when you said
that, that the first thing that came to me is that it would be a dis-
mal situation. But I think that we are worried more and more in
this country about the haves and the have nots, and we would have
far more have nots. And I think that it would be a very dangerous
situation for these children and for our future. We have heard
about that 100 percent of our future now.

Ms. DooLan. I think that the other piece of this that is really
important is to think about the fact that it is not only the child
who does not have the chance, but it is the family that does not
have the chance. Because Head Start is a comprehensive program,
because it does support families as the first teachers and fopefully
the life long learners with their children.

I think that we miss the opportunity also to not be able to pro-
vide some of the health services that Head Start is about. Cer-
tainly, we are concerned about immunizations. We talk about well
child care, and how well you do in school. But it is also when I look
at Head Start that health is such an enormous piece of this. It is
giving those children that healthy start also.

And I think that that is a piece that sometimes gets lost when
we are talking about children coming to school ready to learn, and
children where they are academically in the fourth grade.

I think that there are lots of other pieces of Head Start that chil-
dren and families would miss if there was not Head Start.

Ms. LiBERTO. There is also one segment of our population, as you
know, that deals with special needs. And we have a situation in
Bridgeport where we have identified a tracking system and a ques-
tionnaire for parents during the application process, which may in-
dicate if a child is a potential needs person. And if that is true, we
line them up after testing them, et cetera, and working with them
with the board of education at an early stage.

And by providing these kinds of services and having a good liai-
son with the board of education, these students and children are
treated at an early age. And many times, we hear that these stu-
dents do not even need to continue to that specialty after Head
Start, because Head Start has taken care of it at the early stages.
So it is important to identify all of the issues and to followup.

The other thing is there is not even a lot of historical evidence
on this, but we also have got to realize that there are more and
more children that are evidence of substance abuse babies. And
they are starting to figure out what impact do these kids have.

We are conditioning. Such as crossing the street and a bird com-
ing over, a car coming toward them and a bird have equal stimuli.
And what does that mean in class? Well, it means that you do not
put that child in the back of a class, but rather in the front. Be-
cause everything in front of them is going to change the order.

And what impact does this mean in how their brain works. There
are all kinds of studies now coming out on this, and how we should
better handle children like this. And it is again important to deal
with it in the early preventive stages than in the remedial changes
when it is too late.

Ms. Drrrio. If I could back the question. The first word that en-
tered my mind was being hopeless. And I grew up at a time when


21

But I think that if we can focus our resources on Head Start, and
special ed, and the dependent care tax credit as generously as we
possibly can, because the vehicle is already there, we are not in-
venting new programs, in that block grant, I think that we could
make very measurable progress this year on this front. And I agree
with you that nothing is more important than our children’s devel-
opment.

Senator Dopp. I appreciate you saying that. And again, if we get
into the business of pitting working parents against people who can
stay home. We have people who have no choice. You have got sin-
gle mothers out there, and the luxury of saying I would like to stay

ome is just not a question for them. They have to be there. Fifty-
five percent of all children in child care centers have mothers who
have to work. It is not a question of having some choice.

And one thing that I hope that we can get together on is
refundability of the tax credit, which is always a ticklish issue
here. But those people who do not pay taxes are at the lowest in-
come level, and need our help to the extent that we can do a
refundability.

Ronald Reagan, to his great credit, of course, said the best pro-
gram for poor people is having some refundability of the Tax Code.

that it reaches a constituency where we are looking at $4,000
to $9,000 per child care cost, it is just mind-boggling.

Mrs. JOHNSON. I would really like to look at that with you. We
see that the block grant comes up. Because the fraud rate in re-
fundable programs is so very high.

Senator Dopp. We can get into that.

Mrs. JOHNSON. We really have to make this a continuous seam-
less support system.

Senator Dopp. I will end on this note with you. We have this to-
bacco bill, which is another issue. But the people look at it obvi-
ously as a funding source. But interestingly, in the bill that was
introduced in the Senate the other day, childcare funding was not
at $7 billion which is where the President was in his child care ini-
tiative, in the tobacco bill in the Senate it is $14 billion. It is the
largest program except for medical research, which is $17 billion.
Except for, obviously, the payments to patients and so forth.

But for programs that received support, child care has gotten the
most support. So it is a good indication of where people are coming
from.

Mr. Suays. Rosa.

Ms. DELAuURO. Just to say thank you to the Senator. And I would
like to reemphasize the point that parents, men and women today,
whether they stay at home or whether they are in the work force,
go to bed at night trying to figure how it is that they are going to

ret their bills paid, and how they are going to take care of their
ids’ education.

And child care becomes an issue for all of them. Many parents,
one spouse or the other who do stay at home, they have their chil-
dren in pre-school. The issue is the child development, the quality,
and the opportunity. And we do have an unbelievable pivotal mo-
ment when we can, either through the tobacco effort or other ef-
forts, look at resources to address generally the issue of child care
and not put people at loggerheads.


The Creative Curriculum for Infants and_

Greet children and their families
‘As children and families begin arriving, each one

personally.

+ Ask parents questions about what has happened
since you were together. “When did she last eat?”
“Hlow dd she sleep last aight?” “What di the phys-
ical therapist say?”

* Share some of your plans for the day. “This after-
‘hoon we are going to take a walk to the park.”

* Sale bello and explain yoo wil be with an eving
family as soon as you finish changing a diaper.

. Bacourage «father to have a cup of juice orto read a
‘book with his daughter as she settles in for the day.

Help children and families say goodbye to one another,
Be there to belp children and family members separate,
+ Encourage parents to say goodbye no matter how
tempting it isto sneak out while their child is occupied.
+ Suggest a goodbye ritual such as walking with you to
the door of waving goodbye from the window.
+ Invite a child's grandmother to call later in the day to
see how Julio is doing.
+ Reassure a toddler that mommy will come back just
like she always does, Help her join in an activity

you know she will like.

+ Be aware that helping with so many goodbyes can stir
up deep feelings from your own childhood seperation
experiences.

(©1997 Tonching Streegien inc.. Washingsoa, DC



95

Being a part of Head Start has made me realize that I have truly had many
magical and rewarding experiences that | will carry with me forever. Some
of my experiences include meeting my Senator in Washington, organizing a
parent focus group for the Assistant Secretary, working in partnership with
the ACF Regional Administrator, sitting here with the founder of Head Start,
serving on the National Head Start Association Board of Directors, working
with the Commissioner of DSS, or advocating for both the CT, and New
England Regional Head Start Associations.

In conclusion, this past December, I became totally self sufficient when I
received a full time contract to work with the Dept. of Social Services as a
Parent Involvement Specialist. I have left the welfare rolls behind and have
truly lifted my family and myself up by our bootstraps. There is nothing like
the feeling of being able to provide my family with financial security.

As we approach the issue of the Reauthorization of Head Start this year, I
‘want you to remember my story. I came into the Head Start program during
the last Reauthorization of Head Start in 94 and in four years time I have
become a confident, self- sufficient and respected leader of my community.
My family has had the opportunity to become a part of the most wonderful
social service programs and I will be forever grateful.

As we move into the 21% century, Head Start needs to be looked at as a
seamless program that provides quality comprehensive services for pregnant
woman, children from birth to 5, and their families. If my family had been
able to experience Head Start at an earlier time, we would have been able to
reach our family goals sooner. Head Start has more than proven itself, and
hopefully in the years to come we will only see it’s funding increase so more
of America’s families will have the same opportunities as I and to truly
receive the Head Start in life that they deserve.

Once again, 1 want to thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Respestfully submitted,

WAT ikl owe


33

yet received an Early Head Start award, we are working to integrate the Early Head Start
performance standards into our existing child care program.

‘Connecticut is the wealthiest state in the country and Fairfield County is the
wealthiest county in the state. Yet, one out of three children in Bridgeport is poor and
more than 13,000 children were living in families receiving welfare when the state
implemented its strict welfare reform legislation in 1996 (Bridgeport Child Advocacy
Coalition, 1997).

In Connecticut, one out of ten children is poor and 102,000 children are living in
families receiving welfare. While state-wide 10.7% of all Connecticut children under 18
years are classified as poor, the percentage of poor children of African-American heritage
climbs to 28.9% and jumps again to 41.2% for children of Latino heritage (Children's
Defense Fund, 1996). According to the US Department of Commerce, Connecticut
evidences the widest disparity of income between rich and poor of any state in the nation.

‘The "two Connecticuts” phenomenon evidences itself in the high preponderance
of racial and ethnic minorities living in Connecticut's three largest cities of Hartford,
New Haven and Bridgeport. Bridgepon, the state's largest city, ranks lowest in per capita
income in the region and ranks at a low of 167 of the 169 municipalities in the state. For
a state with the number one ranking in per capita income in the country, Connecticut
ranks a poor 23rd in the nation for low-birthweight births as a percent of all births and
16th in its infant mortality rate (Children's Defense Fund, 1996).

‘Connecticut mirrors the trend in the United States over the last 20 years toward an
increasing birth rate among unmarried teens ages 15 through 19. In Connecticut, the
percentage of teen births that were to unmarried teens is nearly as close to that of
‘Washington D.C. (80.6 versus 93.9%) as it is to neighboring Vermont (80.6 versus
70.1%). Of the 35 states that show an increase in adolescent childbearing over the
decade between 1980 and 1990, Connecticut is among the top four largest increases at
28.5%. The other largest increases were seen in California (34.1%), District of Columbia
(53.5%), Michigan (31.8%) and Rhode Island (35.2%) (Children's Defense Fund, 1996).
Recent data shows that in the past five years, Connecticut's teen birth rate has climbed
53%. Over the same period, other negative trends for teens include an increase of 20% in
teen deaths by accident, homicide and suicide; and juvenile violent crime arrest rate
increased by 53% (Annie E, Casey Foundation, 1997).

‘Clearly, life for many of Connecticut's children is getting worse over the past
decade. The negative social indicators for children are correlated closely with the number
‘and circumstances of children living in poverty in the state. Connecticut ranks squarely
iin the middle of the 50 states in the nation in the percentage of children living in poverty.

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 4


168

We do not specifically have evaluations of the Early Head Start
Programs. But as Dr. Zigler said, we have a body of research which
the experts used to help us design those programs. And that is why
we think that there is a substantial consensus that would lead to
dramatically increasing the investment in young children.

Mr. Towns. Do you want to add something to that, Dr. Zigler?

Dr. ZIGLER. Well, we have a body of work. This is not the first
infant and toddler program that the world has ever seen. There
have been a number of other efforts. I would point to the parents
as teachers effort throughout the State of Missouri, which is just
a home visitation program, not nearly as rich as Early Head Start,
but nonetheless has reported some very positive findings.

So I concur that it is too early. I have looked at the research
evaluation that has been put in place under Mathematica and Co-
lumbia University, and I am very impressed with it. We are going
to have this evidence in short order.

But I think that we already have enough knowledge about the
importance of the first 3 years of life, and what works and what
does not work, that I would be absolutely amazed if these early re-
sults did not show some pretty robust findings demonstrating the
value of this type of program.

Mr. Towns. Thank you.

Some people are concerned that the funding of our Early Head
Start will diminish funding for regular Head Start.

How would you answer that concern?

Ms. GOLDEN. Well, I guess I would point to two things. First, I
would point to the President’s budget proposal, which is a commit-
ment to continuing the expansion of Head Start to a total of a mil-
lion children, continuing to ensure that we expand our reach in the
preschool program, as well as a commitment to doubling the size
of the early Head Start Program.

And we came to that proposal in the context of a balanced
budget. Because we believed, as I think every other panelist has
said, that what is critical is that continuum of services for young
children, that we have to invest more in the infant and toddler
years. That is what the scientific research is telling us very persua-
sively.

In addition, we need to keep high quality programs out there and
reaching more children in the preschool years. By the year 2002,
if we make the President’s target, we will be serving about half of
the eligible children. We will not be to everyone yet.

So it is really important to proceed across that continuum. And
what we did and obviously hope that the Congress will do as you
reflect on the budget is identify the tradeoffs elsewhere to make
sure that we are able to make these critical investments in young
children.

Mr. Towns. Thank you very much.

Ms. GREENE. I would like to make a comment regarding that
question. While the association and the practitioners that we rep-
resent see the need and certainly support expanding Early Head
Start, we would like to see the Congress do it in a way that holds
Head Start harmless, in that while we expand that we do not for-
get about the commitment that has been made for funding all eligi-


188

I appreciate this opportunity to report on our accomplishments
and the exciting efforts of local Barly Head Start programs and
look forward to answering your questions.

11


17

prepared parent to do it. That is the best. If you want something
and have the best, that is the best.

But if you cannot have that, because parents are working, single
parents, and the pressure is on them, how do you come as close as
possible to mirroring that best giver, that caring parent, how do
you get as close to that?

And that is what we are trying to do here with Early Head Start.
We are trying to approximate, if you can, the kind of care that a
parent would provide. And we know how important that is. If it
cannot be there, because of work or whatever else, How do you get
close to that, to stimulating the kinds of things that children need
in those earliest years?

And again, the synapse argument and the brain studies that we
have seen make that point. But there is one thing that Early Head
Start is not. It is not an inoculation, that somehow for once and
for all that it ensures future positive development.

There are some that criticize Head Start and have over the
years, saying that the gains are lost over time. And there is some
evidence showing that may be the case in some cases. Many have
raised similar questions about Early Head Start.

I think that we need to stand back and carefully look at some
of these claims. First and foremost, Head Start children start
school more ready to learn than non-Head Start children. That is
a fact. We know that now. In fact, Head Start children stay ahead
over time. We know that too. That is a fact.

They are likely to stay on grade out of special education, and
graduate from high school on time. They are also less likely to have
children in their teen years, go on welfare, or be involved in vio-
lence in the criminal justice system. Those are all facts. We have
got 30 yas of data now to support that.

Head Start offers children a strong foundation for success in
school, and Early Head Start offers the same potential. But this
foundation must be built on by teachers, schools, and parents.

As you know, Mr. Chairman, Early Head Start is still a new ef-
fort, and evaluations are under way but not complete. However,
our experiences with this program have been quite positive.

Today you will hear stories from people in Connecticut. To share
with you just a couple from out of our Ctate. Northern Virginia, un-
married teen parents with a baby in the program began working
together through Early Head Start activities, and spent more time
with their child as a result of being involved in Early Head Start,
and grew closer to one another.

They were ultimately married which they had not been, and had
the ceremony, by the way, at the Early Head Start in Virginia, at-
tributing the program directly to bringing parents together. That
family would Rave been divided, a single parent raising children.
And we know the problems associated with that.

In Nebraska, a teenage father was battling substance abuse and
gained self-esteem and self-worth through the Early Head Start
program. And he has overcome his drug problems to become a part
of his family once again.

In Virginia, again, a mother was having difficulty finding child
care because her child had a disability. She was eventually able to
enroll her baby in an Early Head Start program, which has pro-


61

Attachment 4
Rethinking the Brain


130

reassess these factors and to make periodic adjustments in their
staffing, budgets, and mix of services. For example, many
agencies are restructuring their staffing and program designs in
response to the impacts on Barly Head Start families of new
requirements in State welfare reform initiatives. Let me briefly
share several examples of how local agencies mold services to fit

family needs and community resources.

Child Development, Inc., a comprehensive non-profit early
childhood agency serves families in rural Arkansas through a
series of centers that provide quality child care, including
services that accommodate the needs of parents who work evening
and early morning shifts in the local poultry industry or who
attend night classes at local universities and community
colleges. United Cerebral Palsy of Washington, D.C. and Northern
Virginia offers parents a choice among a home visitor service, a
network of family child care homes, and a child care center,
These options allow parents the flexibility to continue to
participate in Early Head Start as their schedules change due to

employment demands and education opportunities.

Stimulating New Initiatives

Two other agencies illustrate the potential of karly Head Start
to mobilize additional community resources to complement federal
funds. The University of Pittsburgh’s program has mobilized
unusual linkages to expand health services to its families and


114

And I buy into it. I buy into the fact that so much should be hap-
pening in 0 to 3. And I buy into the fact that we are not focused
in on it.

I just quickly want to touch on this concept of fadeout. It seems
to me that you are right. You are back in the poverty, and that is
working against you rather than for you. But fadeout as compared
to others who are in similar circumstances. They compare the fade-
out to a student who was eligible but not for part of the Head Start
Program.

I think of myself. I am terrible at languages. And I would learn
something, and in the summer I would forget it. And I would have
to start in Spanish I all over again.

And it seems to me that enrollment duration is one of the ways
that we are not looking at Head Start and Early Head Start. Are
we capturing them, or do they tune out when they are not in the

rogram? And how much is program duration a factor of fadeout?
Rome of you have commented that it should be all year long and
a longer day.

So in terms of the fadeout issue, I am leaving with the thought
that some of it is poverty, and some of it is not participating fully
in the program. I mean they may have done 1 year or 1¥2 years.
Maybe the program needs to be longer, a longer day and a longer

year.

And then clearly some of it is just a bad program sometimes. I
am not talking generically. If it is not involving the parent, it has
got to be a bad program.

Is that correct, I mean is that part of the deal in Head Start and
Early Head Start, that the parent is part of the process?

Ms. DOOLAN. We would not put it that way.

Ms. LIBERTO. One thing is the resources and the amount of
money that we talk about giving our staff. As I said, the continuity
of staff is related to that. Because if you are going to pay them
wages that have a high turnover, by the time that they are trained
in those types of areas that they need to be trained, they are off
to another program. So it is constant turnover.

So we really have to commit resources to get them commensurate
with other technical positions in that field. Maybe not according to
the Board of Education per se, but somewhere in between, and
somewhere where they can afford to make a living and to be able
to do it.

In the Northeast, how can you make a living on $15,000 a year
in terms of being able to raise a whole family on that?

Mr. SHAyYs. You have turnover in the teachers.

Do you have a turnover in the students? I mean in Bridgeport,
I have had teachers say, “look at this class, by the end of the year
there will only be three of the same students, and everyone else
will be new.”

Do you have that problem?

Ms. LIBERTO. Not that much of a turnover.

Ms. Ditrio. Last year, we served 303 children in the Norwalk
Head Start Program, which is a 12-month program. All children
can come 6 hours a day. Sixty children can come 10 hours a day
through State support. And we are slotted for 280. So we saw very
few children withdraw.


116

Ms. SULLIVAN. Head Start provides comprehensive early child-
hood services to the entire family.

Mr. Suays. Lisa, I know what your title is, and I know what the
intent is. I want to know what reality is. And I get the sense that
if you start with Early Start, that you have really captured the
parent. Where if you start with Head Start, some parents allow
themselves to be part of the system and some do not. Some parents
view Head Start as a day care program. And there is nothing to
be embarrassed about. You are shaking your head.

Ms. DOOLaN. Yes, I am. When I think about our program, I think
about the first contact that we have is with the parent. It is the
parent who is the entree into the family and to the child. Because
the parent calls us and says I am interested in a Head Start Pro-
gram, what does that mean. And we start then saying what it
means is this is how we are going to be involved with you, and this
is what part you will take in your child’s experience here at Head

tart.

Some parents choose not to be involved. You are absolutely cor-
rect. But I suspect that as we start with Early Head Start, that if
we get that parent when she is pregnant, we are going to be in-
volved with her there. But as parents need to go back to work, we
are going to see Early Head Start families who are working, who
may not be able to be as involved as we would like them to be, be-
cause that is the nature of what is happening in our world today.

Mr. Suays. Let me turn to Rosa to get into this issue.

s But first, Jane, our organization has a pilot program in Early
tart.

Are you noticing a different relationship with the parent of an
Early Start program versus the Head Start program?

Ms. NorGREN. I really cannot say, because we are just at the
very beginning of that. We certainly at this point are going to be
enrolling parents and Pregnant mothers. So in that sense, we are
working on her health. We are working on that child even before
that child is even born. But it is a little early for us. ,

Mr. Suays. I suspect, and I could be wrong, but I suspect that,
because your focus in the beginning is going to be totally on the
mother, that you will have an easier time involving the parent in
that process. And that is one of the things that excites me about
Early Start. I think that you can capture the parent in that proc-
ess. You can help train them and guide them in a way that you
may not be able to in Head Start.

Ms. NORGREN. Many of these parents did not even know where
to go for help. My experience as a teacher, and this was years ago,
was that I would deal with a pregnant teen who was poor, and she
had never actually been nurtured herself. So this is the beginning
of that. And I do not think that we should leave the fathers out
too, because that is really an important place for us to be working.
We need to remember that we are not dealing just with the mom,
but we need to really work with the fathers.

Mr. Says. A good point.

Rosa, do you have something?

Ms. DeLauro. I just wanted to say that with both programs
what we are trying to do is to engage parents. But I think Pat was
right. You know, we started with this notion that it was three to


Statement of Rep. Christopher Shays
Febreary 19, 1998
Page 2

So we come here this morning to listen, to learn and to atk whst impediments confront
Early Head Start as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues to expand
the reach and the quality of the program.

‘As an oversight subcommittee, our mission is to make sure federal programs not only
mean well, but do well, with the resources available. We ask bow administrators assure the

quality of their programs, and we atk how the Department measures the performance, and the
‘outcome, of critical efforts like Earty Head Start.

In that work, we are grateful to be able to look to the expertise and experience of our
witnesses today. This morning, we will hear from Connecticut teachers, administrators and a
Head Start parent on their views of the promise and performance of Early Head Start. This
afternoon, the HHS Assistant Secretary responsible for thi, and many other, family service
programs, will lead a pane! with the state Social Service Commissioner, a distinguished researcher
‘on child development issues and a leader of the national Head Start movement.

J also want to express my gratitude to my Connecticut congressional colleagues, Sen.
Dodd, and Representatives Johnson and DeLauro, for their participation today. Their
commitment to child care issues is a credit to our state and an important part of their service to
‘our nation.

‘We welcome all our witnesses today and we look forward to their testimony.


93

I quickly became orientated to the program. I began setting goals for my
family and myself. Within the first three months, I returned to school and
took my high school equivalency test and received my GED. I began
attending Parent Committee meetings, socializing with other parents, and
attending parenting classes. The program year would soon come to a close,
and I would be eager to send John into TVCCA’s center based program the
following year.

In the 94-95-program year, I continued to track my progress and set
attainable goals. I would begin volunteering extensively for the program. I
would serve on the Head Start Policy Council and on the Head Start Center
Committee. I would begin to find myself in leadership positions. I would be
elected the Chairperson of both groups. This was an empowering time in my
life. Parents and staff were reaching their hands out to me. They believed in
me when sometimes I didn’t even believe in myself. They were valuing my
imput and allowing me to be involved in program decisions. I began
attending conferences and was elected to serve as my program representative
to the CT Head Start Association. I would begin 1995 as the Parent
Chairperson of the CT Head Start Association and be elected to represent
CT parents on the New England Head Start Association Board of Directors.
I would receive the prestigious honor of becoming the New England Head
Start Parent of the Year, and begin my involvement with the CT Head Start
State Collaboration project out of the Governor’s office.

I decided in the fall of 1995 to enroll in an assessment of prior learning class
at my local community college with the help of Financial Aid and within one
semester I would receive 39 college credits towards my college degree. I
would receive this credit due to my volunteer experience with the Head Start
program. I continued attending college part-time for the next three semesters
and received my college degree in the spring of 1997 after finishing a
Legislative Internship with the CT General Assembly. At my graduation
ceremony, I had been recognized as the Most Outstanding Graduating
Student of my graduating class, and it was a very proud moment in my life. I
would also attend the Parent Leadership Training Institute, a 20-week
intensive leadership course, sponsored by the CT Commission on Children,
and receive a citation from the CT General Assembly for that
accomplishment.


38

increased its entry level teachers’ wage from $8 to $10 per hour. While a great
improvement, our entry salary of $18,300 still lags far behind the $30,000 starting salary
for a teacher hired by the city's Board of Education. Keeping the critical issue of "do no
harm" in mind, infants may also be helped by starting them off in Early Head Start on a

gradual basis, that is increasing the number of days per week (with their accompanying

separation problems) slowly over the course of time. Such a schedule would also be less
disruptive to the mother-child relationship. However, these child-centered techniques do
cost more money but they are better for the infant and young child.

‘The new Head Start and Early Head Start Performance Standards place great
‘emphasis on literacy and the importance of reading to a child at least three times a day.
‘At ABCD, we are anxious to expand our very successful Family Literacy Project to the
birth-to-three group which would be served in an Barly Head Start program. Two of the
‘most pressing problems facing both our nation and out local communities are the high
rates of illiteracy in adults, particularly parents of young children, and the deficits in
school readiness skills seen in their children (Boyer, 1991). ABCD's Family Literacy
Project is a collaborative effort with nearby Fairfield University, is supported by private
funding, and uses university students as "literacy tutors” for preschool-age children in
their Head Start classrooms and weekly group training workshops for the parents. This
project is an integrated approach to “a total literacy environment” through the Head Start
experience. During the 1994-1995 and the 1995-1996 project years, the Family Literacy
Project reached 780 Head Start preschoolers, and involved 60 Head Start parents, 72
Head Start teachers, and 275 university student tutors. An evaluation of the program
after two years provided evidence of the project's short-term success. Parents reported a
sense of increased competence and increased self-esteem. They reported increased
amounts of time as well as increased "quality" of time spent with their preschoolers
engaging in conversation, specific language-eahancing activities, and book sharing.
Increases seen in the children's language scores were six months or more greater than
those seen in matched controls. Teachers unanimously reported satisfaction with the
individualized tutoring being made available to preschoolers in their classrooms and both
teachers and parents reported gaining greater motivation for higher education as a result
of the positive interaction with the student tutors (Edmonds et al, 1997).

‘Clearly, no single short-term intervention is enough to combat the tremendous
negative impact of illiteracy and poverty but ABCD views this program as a powerful
first step. In future months and years, ABCD will expand the family literacy project
beyond the classroom boundaries to the homes of children we serve through more
lending libraries and home-based literacy activities for the whole family.

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 9


158

Mr. Suays. Thank you. We will have questions in a second.

Ms. Greene, welcome to the committee, and I look forward to
your testimony.

Do you live in D.C.?

Ms. GREENE. I live in Alexandria.

Mr. Suays. Alexandria, close enough. It is nice to have you from
the Washington area up here. Thank you for coming.

Ms. GREENE. Thank you very kindly.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the
committee, representatives of the fine State of Connecticut, fellow
witnesses, and honored guests.

My name is Sarah Greene, the chief executive officer for the Na-
tional Head Start Association. And it is indeed an honor and pleas-
ure for me to come before you today to testify on a topic as vital
to the success of so many low income children and their families
as Early Head Start.

I commend you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee
for demonstrating the foresight and commitment necessary to begin
field hearings on this very important topic. I further commend you
and thank you for your sensitive comments made at the beginning
of the hearing.

And I also thank Senator Dodd, who is not here now, for his com-
ments, and for taking the lead in 1990 to recognize the need for
quality set-aside dollars to deal with critical issues in Head Start.

I come before you to share 29 years of experience in Head Start.
But rather than talking about my experiences directly, I want to
talk about the agency that I administered as executive director of
the community action agency in Manatee County for 23 years.

We had a Head Start Program that serviced 350 3- and 4-year-
old children, Project Child Care that served over 1,100 birth to 3
year old children, and an after school program for children up to
age 12. The program was located in two of our Head Start centers.
And we operated a summer program for children entering kinder-
garten who were graduates of Head Start, so they would have the
benefit of a summer program.

Two years before I left Florida to come to Washington, DC, the
child care community and the Early Head Start community came
together and convinced the voters in Manatee County to pass an
increase in sales tax with the dollars dedicated to improving and
expanding the services to the early childhood community.

And so I come on this very important topic from a background
of working with children from birth to age 12. And I again com-
mend you on this very important topic.

Head Start has a rich history in serving infants and toddlers. For
over 25 years, there were a number of migrant Head Start pro-
grams serving birth to 3. Also, the parent/child centers. From this
rich experience, I am sure that the experiences as well as the
learning from this was incorporated with the new Early Head Start
Program.

The Head Start Association for many, many years advocated for
expanding this program. And we commend the leaders of research
as well as other advocates who have now laid this topic to the fore-
front of America.


125

Barly Head Start coordinates with the Department of Education’s
program for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their
families. For example, Early Head Start representatives serve on
the Federal and State Interagency Coordinating Councils. These
programs also work together at the local level, providing
specialized services needed by children with disabilities within

the comprehensive Barly Head Start program.

Prom profiles of an initial set of 50 projects, we know that
roughly one-half of Barly Head Start families earn less than
$6,000 per year, one-third of the parents are employed full-time,
one-fifth are enrolled in school or job training, and one-half

are single parent households.

Local agencies receive grants to operate Early Head Start based
on an open, national competitive process. School districts, non-
profit community agencies, colleges and universities, local
governments, mental health and health service organizations are
among the organizations providing services. The two Barly Head
Start grantees in Connecticut are the Child Care Center of
Stamford, Inc. in Stamford and The Access Agency, Inc. located in
Willimantic.

My testimony today will focus on three core principles that

embody our approach to managing the Early Head Start initiative.


100

there was no Head Start Program. And I remember very clearly
living in poverty, and not knowing what the next hour will bring.
And quite frankly, I did not think I would make it to 16.

Because when you grow up and have so much of a chaotic life,
you cannot plan. You do not know what is going to happen next.
You are with your parent or whomever the adult happens to be at
the time, and you are just like am I going to get through the day.

And I look back on it now, and I used to think if I could live to
be 16 that was going to be a miracle. And yet, here I am far older
than that trying to go back and say what were those supports that
helped me become the person I am. And I think that my family
would have benefited far greater if there had been a program such
as Head Start.

Mr. Towns. Let me thank all of you for your comments and your
testimony. I think that you have been extremely helpful. As I was
just listening to the various things that you were saying we might
be losing money by not fully funding Head Start. When you start
looking at all of the other things that fall out, that maybe in the
long run, we would be better off if we spend the money by fully
funding it rather than to fund a few programs here and a few pro-
grams there, when you look at all of the other effects of not having
the kind of resources. It becomes sort of frightening.

T hope that one day and one day very, very soon that we will look
at this in a very careful way, and say that the way to deal with
this is to fully fund it. And I think that we would find out that in
a very short few years that we would save a lot of money. It makes
sense to me.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

Mr. SHays. Thank you, Mr. Towns.

At this time, we will call on Nancy Johnson. She has the floor.

Mrs. JOHNSON. Thank you.

There has been some concern in Congress about Head Start, be-
cause of this fadeout issue. I think that you have given us very
good insight into that issue. I will have to look and see, and maybe
some of the HHS people can help me, I would like to see if there
is any research done on kids who are ahead when they come to kin-
dergarten, and what happens to them in terms of fadeout.

Because that is a very big problem in the public schools of cities
like New Britain, because of the unevenness of the kids coming.
You have some well prepared kids of diverse ethnic and racial
backgrounds, who then by grade three are not doing very well.

So I am not sure that you can relate fadeout to Head Start. And
if you do relate it to Head Start, it may be that the reason you are
seeing it is because the Head Start kids are coming to school better
prepared in kindergarten and the first grade than the non-Head
Start kids.

Because I think that this makes very logical sense, and I will see
if there is some documentation to support it. But in my experience,
this accounts for fadeout more than anything else.

And I think, Lisa, your point about parent involvement is ex-
tremely important. And I think that is what we are beginning to
learn.


41

been greeted with skepticism - if not outright disbelief - ten or twenty years ago (Shore,
1997 - see summary in Attachment 4).

Policy makers and practitioners in many field will need to deal with the
implications of this research in making decisions about resource allocation for early
childhood, elementary, secondary and higher education. Instead of talking about children
in terms of warehousing, we will need to begin talking about hard wiring. President
Clinton's budget proposal for 1999, seeks $21.4 billion in subsidies and tax breaks for
child-care programs, The Head Start Bureau is in a key position to assure that low-
income children will receive the intensive care they need to develop emotionally and
socially by bringing the fruits of this research into homes, Early Head Start and Head
Start centers and classrooms through continually refined performance standards. Most
importantly, by involving the whole family, Head Start will guide parents in fulfilling
their central role in helping their children reach their full potential for the 21st century.

‘Thank You.

Early Head Start: Goals and Challenges page 12