Head Start marks 60 years of supporting families and children

The Administration for Children and Families is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Head Start program, which has provided early learning, health and nutrition, and family support to more than 40 million children and families since 1965. “I am committed to protecting the promise of Head Start,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noting the program was created by his uncle.

According to Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison, the program continues to evolve to meet modern needs. Head Start currently reaches about 750,000 children annually, including many in rural and tribal communities. It also supports parents through job training, housing assistance and opportunities to shape the program through classroom volunteering and policy councils.