Act Now!

Over the past year we have worked with our Head Start community to face a number of obstacles, including sequestration, DRS and a government shutdown. While busy dealing with Washington decision makers, we continue to listen to you and hear about the issues that are most affecting the well-being of Head Start children, families, staff, and volunteers. These last few months, more than ever, you’ve been speaking up to tell us about the significant number of Head Start employees who are themselves facing the many struggles of poverty because they do not earn a wage that supports them and their families.
We have also received personal accounts of full-time Head Start employees experiencing increased stress and a reduced quality of life, missing student loan payments, applying for SNAP and unemployment benefits, and much more. The inability of Head Start programs to provide a living wage to those from whom so much is expected is a huge concern.

With the release of the President’s 2015 Budget proposal and the start of the Fiscal Year 2015 appropriations cycle, now is the time to build evidence for Congress and the White House that the early childhood education workforce needs an investment.

This month, join us as we advocate for increased investment to benefit the entire Head Start community! To share your Workforce Emergency story or find out how you can get involved, visit go.nhsa.org/Workforce-Emergency.