As the father of two kids, I understand the importance of supporting our schools in order to provide opportunities for every student – regardless of zip code or household income. I also believe it is important for education programs to be flexible enough to serve the needs of each individual community. A strong educational foundation starts from the very beginning, and that’s why I’m working in Congress to support early childhood education.

For example, earlier this year, I led a letter with nearly 40 Members of Congress to the Appropriations Committee in support of funding for the Head Start program. Starting over 50 years ago, Head Start offers programs for kids from newborns to five years old, primarily from lower income families, to provide comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and other services. Head Start partners with the community to provide for the specific needs and preferences of the area they serve in, as well as involve the whole family to ensure kids have the support they need at home.

Most importantly, Head Start works. Head Start has been proven to improve educational outcomes throughout kids’ lives, and increases the chances students will graduate from high school, attend college, and receive a post-secondary degree, license, or certification. Head Start has also been shown to contribute to emotional, social, and behavioral development of children throughout school. Moreover, Head Start is far-reaching – over a million children every year benefit from the services offered by Head Start.

Last week, the House passed legislation that included funding for multiple programs to provide services to low-income families. In addition to Head Start, this funding will be used for the Child Care and Development Block Grant – which improves access to affordable early care and afterschool programs – as well as the Preschool Development Grants, which are used to build high-quality preschool programs.

Overall, this bill funded the programs at a total of $50 million above the previous year, demonstrating a strong, bipartisan commitment to our children. Moving forward, I will continue working to support education programs that are flexible for our communities and prepare our kids for the future.

To read the letter of support for Head Start, click here. If you have any questions about what I am working on to support education, or any other issue facing the federal government, I invite you to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2015, Hilliard office at (614) 771-4968, Lancaster office at (740) 654-2654, or Wilmington office at (937) 283-7049. You can also subscribe to my enewsletter at www.stivers.house.gov.

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