Head Start: Making a Popular Program Work

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 440-441
Author(s):  
DOUGLAS J. BESHAROV ◽  
TERRY W. HARTLE
Keyword(s):  
Head Start ◽  
School Performance ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Annual Cost ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Poor Children

Head Start, the federal government's preschool program for low-income children, is one of the nation's most popular domestic initiatives. In 1980, President Carter praised it as "a program that works." President Reagan included Head Start in the "safety net" and has presided over a substantial funding increase. Head Start began in 1965 as a 6-week summer experiment in using child development services to improve the future prospects of disadvantaged children. It quickly became a full year program. Now, 20 years old, it serves about 450,000 children, at an annual cost of more than $1 billion. The program's popularity is based on the widespread impression that it lifts poor children out of poverty by improving their learning ability and school performance.

Access to Ambulatory Care Services for Economically Disadvantaged Children

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 813-819
Author(s):  
Paul W. Newacheck ◽  
Neal Halfon
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
War On Poverty ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Interview Survey ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Ambulatory Services ◽  
Poor Children

Using data from the 1981 Child Health Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey, we examined differences in access to ambulatory services for children of different family incomes. The results indicate that much progress has been made in equalizing access since the War on Poverty was initiated in the mid-1960s. Poor children with superior health status now generally see physicians at the same rates as children in similar health but from higher income families. However, children with substantial health problems from low-income families continue to lag behind their higher income counterparts in similar health. Medicaid was shown to substantially improve access to ambulatory services for economically disadvantaged children in poor health, but less than half of these children are covered by Medicaid. Recent changes in federal and state policies concerning Medicaid are discussed as well as policy options for addressing the needs of children afflicted by both poverty and ill health.

Does the CATCH Early Childhood Program Increase Physical Activity Among Low-Income Preschoolers?—Results From a Pilot Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 344-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ru-Jye Chuang ◽  
Shreela V. Sharma ◽  
Cheryl Perry ◽  
Pamela Diamond
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Head Start ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
School Year ◽  
Observation Method

Purpose: To explore whether the physical activity (PA) component of the Coordinated Approach to Child Health Early Childhood (CATCH EC) program helps increasing preschoolers’ PA during active times at preschool. Design: Nonrandomized controlled experimental study. Setting: Head Start centers in Houston, Texas, 2009 to 2010 school year. Participants: A total of 439 preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years (3 intervention centers, n = 220; 3 comparison centers, n = 219). Intervention: The CATCH EC preschool-based teacher-led nutrition and PA program. Measures: Preschoolers’ PA was measured at baseline and postintervention using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time–Preschool version, a direct observation method measuring PA at the classroom level. Parent surveys provided demographic data. Analysis: Pre-to-post changes in preschoolers’ PA were examined using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Results show a significant decrease in the percentage time preschoolers spent in level 2 PA (low activity) at intervention ( P = .005) and comparison ( P = .041) centers. Indoor vigorous activity increased significantly on an average by +6.04% pre-to-post intervention among preschoolers in the intervention group ( P = .049); no significant change was found in the comparison group. Conclusion: The CATCH EC favorably increased indoor vigorous PA level among low-income children attending Head Start.

scholarly journals Bridging Ethnic Diversity through Service-Learning on Teaching Chinese Characters for Surabaya-Indonesia Toddler

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 01024
Author(s):  
Olivia
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
History Of ◽  
Poor Children

This social activity is to give low-income children a chance to let the, understand the evolution of Chinese characters, hope through this activity, can attract the group of children to have more interested in other language, especially Chinese language. To understand the Chinese culture, no longer discriminate against the Indonesian Chinese culture. Evidence of discrimination against Chinese Indonesians can be found throughout the history of Indonesia, although government policies implemented since 1998 have attempted to redress this. Due to this discrimination, Chinese Indonesians have suffered an identity crisis, unable to be accepted by both native Chinese and native Indonesians. With this program, there is a hope to bridge the differences that exist with the introduction of the Chinese character on poor children in Surabaya, to let them more understand about Chinese language and the culture behind. And create a better relationship for the next generation in Indonesia. After the progress, we asking the children about this program, and they said they love it and wish to know more about China and their culture.

Relation between Musical Aptitude and Intelligence among Mentally Retarded, Advantaged, and Disadvantaged Subjects

1988 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Braswell ◽  
Anthony Decuir ◽  
Carla Hoskins ◽  
Edward Kvet ◽  
Giselle Oubre
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Mentally Retarded ◽  
Second Graders ◽  
Third Graders ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Musical Aptitude ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Music Audiation ◽  
Better Than

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in scores of 59 mentally retarded adults (mild, moderate, severe, or profound), 133 advantaged, and 130 disadvantaged (low income) children in Grades 1, 2, 3 on the Primary Measures of Music Audiation. Test-retest reliabilities for the Tonal and Rhythm subtests were .81 and .86, respectively, for the retarded group. Analysis of variance indicated that the mildly retarded children performed significantly better than other groups of retarded children on these two tests. 2 × 3 analyses of variance indicated that third graders from both advantaged and disadvantaged groups performed significantly better than the first or second graders on both subtests and that advantaged children performed significantly better than the disadvantaged. However, disadvantaged children made greater gains, especially for third graders, than the advantaged.

A Safety Net Unraveling: Feeding Young Children During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-120
Author(s):  
Katherine W. Bauer ◽  
Jamie F. Chriqui ◽  
Tatiana Andreyeva ◽  
Erica L. Kenney ◽  
Virginia C. Stage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
The United States ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Adult Care ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Early Child Care ◽  
Food Programs ◽  
State And Local

The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States led most states to close or severely limit the capacity of their early child-care and education (ECE) programs. This loss affected millions of young children, including many of the 4.6 million low-income children who are provided free meals and snacks by their ECE programs through support from the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Although Congress swiftly authorized waivers that would allow CACFP-participating ECE programs to continue distributing food to children, early evidence suggests that most ECE programs did not have the capacity to do so, leaving a fragmented system of federal, state, and local food programs to fill the gaps created by this loss. Critical steps are needed to repair our nation’s fragile ECE system, including greater investment in CACFP, to ensure the nutrition, health, and development of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Education

Child Poverty ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 77-96
Author(s):  
Morag C. Treanor
Keyword(s):  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Child Poverty ◽  
Educational Transitions ◽  
Parental Relationships ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
School Day ◽  
Attainment Gap ◽  
The Cost

Chapter five explores the importance of understanding child poverty and its relationship to children’s education. It takes a child-centred perspective to situate children in the context of their peer relationships, pupil-teacher relationships and parental relationships to explore their wellbeing and achievement at school. Education has the potential to be a vital passport for low income children, but many children are unsettled, undervalued and underachieving at school. This chapter explores the importance of education, of school social and academic life to children living in poverty, of educational transitions, of examinations and achievements, and of wellbeing, participation and inclusion at school. It looks at how school culture and the misunderstandings of teachers on the causes and consequences of poverty can present a barrier to the full participation of children living in poverty in their schooling. It also addresses the cost of a school day some of the parental factors that are suggested to influence a child’s education, such as the so-called ‘poverty of aspiration’. It concludes by looking at the policy responses of affluent societies, which aim to close the attainment gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children, and discusses why we need to flip the thinking on education for children living in poverty.

scholarly journals Anaemia, lead poisoning and vitamin D deficiency in low-income children: do current screening recommendations match the burden of illness?

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 1424-1428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Kersey ◽  
Ming Chi ◽  
Diana B Cutts
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Burden Of Illness ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Safety Net Hospital

AbstractObjectiveLow-income children are routinely screened for anaemia and elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) but not for vitamin D deficiency. We sought to determine the relative prevalence of and the relationship among vitamin D deficiency, anaemia and EBLL among healthy low-income paediatric clinic patients.DesignRetrospective chart review.SettingPaediatric outpatient clinic in an urban safety net hospital in a northern US state.SubjectsHealthy toddlers and children under 6 years of age (n 127) who were seen for a routine well child check-up (WCC).ResultsThe prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) < 30 ng/ml) was 62 %; the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml) was 29 %. These rates were far higher than those for anaemia (Hb < 11·0 g/dl) at 10 %, EBLL (Pb > 9 μg/dl) at 1 % or even mildly EBLL (Pb 5–9 μg/dl) at 4 % (range: 1–11). There was no relationship among any of the following: vitamin D status, anaemia or EBLL. The vast majority of children with vitamin D deficiency had both normal Hb (86 %) and Pb level (100 %). After controlling for child's age, gender and race/ethnicity, there was no association between Hb (continuous, g/dl) and vitamin D deficiency (adjusted OR (aOR) = 0·97, 95 % CI 0·64, 1·47; P = 0·88). The only significant predictor of vitamin D deficiency was increasing age in years (aOR = 1·39, 95 % CI 1·03, 1·86; P = 0·03). None of these associations changed materially when deficiency was defined as <15 ng/ml.ConclusionsVitamin D deficiency was far more common than anaemia or EBLL, and Hb and Pb status were not predictors of vitamin D status.

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