We are taking CESA 11 Head Start and Early Head Start with us on the road this week to Washington, D.C. The National Head Start Association is preparing for the 60th Birthday of Head Start! Since its inception in 1965, this program has impacted the lives of almost 40 million children! It's a staggering number, but we live this every day. We see the faces of children light up when they learn something new, we see families laughing and sharing together at parent meetings, we watch them grow with nutritious meals, and we see our community connecting and supporting one another.
Head Start has had bipartisan support since it began. Our purpose this week is to continue sharing the amazing things happening in our agency with policymakers and advocating for our program. Thank you to folks who were able to send artwork and parent testimonials; these will be wonderful to share with our congressional leaders.
We have meetings scheduled with the offices of Senators Baldwin and Johnson and Congressmen Tiffany and Van Orden. These elected officials directly impact our program and we want them to know the positive impacts Head Start has on the communities they represent.
I wanted to share this image of the NHSA's director Yasmina Vinci. To quote her message from this morning: "Once we raise our united voice on behalf of children and families we are unstoppable."