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Wednesday, September 20, 2006
State Support for Underfunded Head Start
Oregon politicians are looking for ways to replace a shortfall in federal Head Start funding.
This East Portland Head Start program looks like the last place you'd expect a visit from politicians. Three- and four-year-olds are drawing pictures and practicing songs. A few months ago, they might have seemed all but forgotten. The president of the National Head Start Association, Sarah Greene, called a press conference in June to press Congress for money.
Sarah Greene: "It all boils down to this: hundreds of Head Start programs across the United States are in the grips of a vice-like cost squeeze today that may result in a major jump in program closures and severe program shutdowns. This alarming trend involves the rapidly growing number of Head Start programs that are unable to deal with the double whammy of federal budget cuts and rising costs of health care, wages, transportation, and other major expenses."
Greene was still reeling from a 1% cut to this year's budget. It triggered layoffs and bigger class sizes. Some programs were closed.
Now these kids have something to sing about, on a number of levels. 39 US Senators signed a letter in support of a bigger Head Start budget for 2007, though the proposal probably won't be voted on for months. Officials in Oregon aren't waiting. Governor Ted Kulongoski visited is advocating a $40 million increase from the state for Head Start.
Posted by Matt Lewis
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