Head Start programs for younger children could be associated with schools, settlement houses, existing Head Start programs, or other community institutions. We concur with the Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion, formed in 1993, that the quality of services must be a first priority. The passage of federal legislation in May 1994 to strengthen the quality of the Head Start program and expand services to families is a very promising development. Reinvent Government to Strengthen Families and Communities Federal and state governments can help communities improve their services and supports to families with young children by mounting systematic efforts to support local change, by removing obstacles created by outmoded funding patterns and cumbersome regulations, and by mobilizing other sectors, including business and the media, to make the needs of families with young children a high priority. In order to focus the leadership and resources of the federal government much more sharply on the needs of young children and their families, we urge the President to appoint a high-level group to coordinate federal agency support for programs for families with young children.
States play a critical role by establishing a framework for community action.
They provide support for key services such as child care, health care, family life education, and staff training. States also play a vital role in establishing program regulations, collecting data, and allocating funds. The task force recommends that governors and state legislatures establish mechanisms, such as those in Colorado, North Carolina, New Mexico, West Virginia, and several other states, to implement comprehensive program plans that focus on the prenatal period and the first three years of life. The changes in community planning and government initiative envisioned by the task force will take time. Our hope rests with the spirit and commitment that the American people demonstrate whenever a crisis threatens to block our path toward an important goal.