124 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
124 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
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August 6, 1992
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PRESIDENT BUSH ON HEAD START
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"Many children need a Head Start, and we're going to make
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sure they get it...[I]n Head Start we found a government
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program that works...to strengthen families and
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communities for the future."
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-- President George Bush
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January 21, 1992
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Summary: Head Start -- A Program That Works.
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o Head Start now provides 622,200 pre-school children from low-
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income families with a comprehensive child development
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program. Stressing parental involvement, Head Start helps to
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meet families' educational, health, nutritional, and social
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needs.
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o President Bush believes deeply in the values of parental
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involvement and volunteerism which Head Start promotes. The
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program also reflects his stated goal that, by the year 2000,
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all American children will begin school ready to learn.
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o Children enrolled in Head Start receive immunizations, medical
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and dental care, speech and hearing screening, and social
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services. Every program provides at least one meal per
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session for enrolled children. A typical program lasts nine
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months, with children benefiting from three to four hours of
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services each day. It can take place in their homes, at a
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central location, or in a combination of sites.
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o President Bush has more than doubled Head Start funding. His
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Administration has proposed the largest single year funding
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increase in Head Start's history -- $600 million -- in his FY
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1993 budget. The President also has worked to assure that the
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parents of every interested eligible and disadvantaged child
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have the opportunity to enroll their child in Head Start for
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one year before starting school.
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-more-
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Fact Sheet: Head Start page 2
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President Bush's Initiatives
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o The Bush Administration has improved Head Start in numerous
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ways during his first term.
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-- Increased Funding -- When President Bush took office,
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funding appropriated for Head Start was $1.235 billion.
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The President proposed increased funding each year, with
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the FY 1992 funding totalling $2.2 billion. If Congress
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approves his request for next year, funding will increase
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another 27%, to $2.8 billion, a 127% increase since the
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President took office.
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-- Increased Participation -- When President Bush took
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office, 448,000 children were enrolled in Head Start.
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His funding proposal for next year would enable the
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program to serve 157,000 more children than this year,
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for a total of 779,200 children -- a record expansion of
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74% under President Bush. Over 800,000 Americans also
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lent their time last year as Head Start volunteers, and
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the President encourages more to do so.
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o Increased Effectiveness -- In addition to funding increases,
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the President supports initiatives to make Head Start a better
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program. These initiatives include:
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-- Drug Prevention -- The President's proposed FY 1993
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budget includes $30.6 million, $9 million more than this
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year, to help Head Start families who face or are at risk
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of facing problems stemming from alcohol or drug abuse.
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-- Evaluation -- The budget includes $12 million to monitor
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the effectiveness of Head Start.
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-- Parental Involvement and Support -- The Administration
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will continue to support and expand Head Start's new
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Family Service Centers, which provide parents with
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literacy, job training, and substance abuse prevention
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services.
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-more-
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Fact Sheet: Head Start page 3
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-- Easing the Transition -- To assure that Head Start
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presents long-term benefits, the Bush Administration is
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working to strengthen links between Head Start programs
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and the schools Head Start children will enter.
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President Bush has awarded $20 million to 32 communities
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to develop collaboration strategies between Head Start
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and local schools. The Department of Education is
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working closely with Head Start to ensure that the
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elementary school system builds on the accomplishments of
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Head Start.
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###
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