The Head Start community mourns the passing of President George H.W. Bush, who along with the First Lady was an ardent supporter of providing every vulnerable child the opportunity to succeed in school and life. In announcing his 1992 budget, President Bush said, ''Many children need a Head Start, and we're going to make sure they get it. In Head Start we found a government program that works to strengthen families and communities for the future.''  And as President, he put those words into…

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Head Start Association (NHSA) today applauded an announcement from the Administration that it will reevaluate a regulation that NHSA has long argued is ineffective, arbitrary, and unnecessarily burdensome on Head Start programs. Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an official request for comments on a proposal that would change the Designation Renewal System’s (DRS) use of the CLASS tool, including the removal of the arbitrary…

The man often recognized as the “Father of Head Start,” Dr. Edward Zigler of Yale University, believed from the beginning that Head Start must not just keep up with current trends, but actually introduce new and bold ideas into the broader early childhood education community.  He wrote, “The notion of Head Start as a national laboratory also fit my philosophy. I have always thought of Head Start not as a static program, but as an evolving concept. Head Start should be a model of the very…

(Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.) – No amount of rain nor cloudy skies deterred volunteers from Michigan-based DTE Energy from descending on an Upper Peninsula early childhood center to lend a hand on May 4, 2018. When their work was completed, the children of the Soo Township Early Childhood Center in Sault Sainte Marie had a brand new playground complete with a climbing structure, and two slides. An estimated 36 children will start preschool in the fall with a great new place to play outdoors,…

(Washington, D.C.) - Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Steven Wagner has announced the appointment of Dr. Deborah Bergeron as the new director of the Office of Head Start (OHS). Dr. Bergeron has served as both a teacher and an elementary school principal and has worked in school systems in Washington, D.C., and Virginia. "Head Start is a one-of-a-kind program - one that provides vital services to children and their families to ensure their success in school and in life," …

(ANN ARBOR, Mich.) - When Stacey Bess drove up to her first classroom as a newbie teacher, she thought she had taken a wrong turn. Before her was a rusted shed amidst a clutter of overturned railcars spilled out under a highway viaduct. Bess' first assignment was novel indeed - an experimental, pilot program for children staying in a nearby homeless shelter in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the next eight years, Bess learned to love and care for her students in the most life-affirming and life-…

(EAST LANSING, Mich.) Talent pools are shrinking, budgets are tight and the work is hard.  How do we recruit and retain talent when resources are limited? The answer to these questions and much more were tackled by MHSA's Human Resources Learning Community on Feb. 15, 2018 with visiting HR expert and presenter Jodi Schafer. Schafer, a senior HR professional and owner of Human Resources Management Services, led a frank conversation about research and reality in "Grow Your Own Talent Programs…

LANSING, MI - Unlike children’s book character Officer Buckle, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth would never stand on a swivel chair for better reach. That’s safety lesson number 77, he told a lively group of giggling preschoolers at Maplehill Head Start this week. But like the mishap-prone hero in “Officer Buckle and Gloria,” who takes a fall and goes on to teach children about safety with help from his police dog Gloria, Wriggelsworth said he also employs police dogs in the line of…

Dear Colleague, As we all know from the heart-breaking news in Texas and Louisiana this week, deadly Hurricane Harvey has claimed dozens of lives and left thousands homeless and in need of rescue. Now the long road to recovery begins. In this vein, I ask for your help in support of the National Head Start Association's effort to assist our Head Start children, families, and their communities in these battered states. Please join the Michigan Head Start Association by contributing to the NHSA'…

(August 10, 2017) Huffington Post -- Effective use of federal funding is imperative to meet the needs of America’s most vulnerable early learners. To ensure those precious public resources are efficiently spent, Congressional leaders regularly (and rightly) ask about potential fragmentation, overlap and duplication of the various federal programs providing early care and education. Last month, Congress’ oversight arm, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), examined these questions and…