Congress on Wednesday passed and sent to President Bush a five-year Head Start bill that opens up the popular preschool program to more children while taking steps to see that the program is well-run and that its teachers are better qualified.
Bush, while unhappy with several aspects of the bill — particularly the failure to include language allowing religious groups receiving Head Start grants to hire and fire staffers based on their religious affiliations — is expected to sign it.
The House passed the bill 381-36. Hours later the Senate approved it 95-0.
“Head Start remains a cornerstone in this country’s efforts to help all children learn, to combat poverty, and to provide all Americans with the opportunity to meet their fullest potential,” said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “This bipartisan legislation will help more poor children reach school age ready to learn and thrive.”
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, recalled that the program for low-income children had its origins in the early 1960s when his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, tackled the problem of juvenile delinquency. Research found that alleviating poverty and increasing early education were crucial.
Head Start was created in 1965 as an eight-week summer program providing classes and health care. It has since reached 24 million children, Kennedy said.
The bill raises the eligibility ceiling from 100 percent of the poverty level for a family of four, about $20,650, to 130 percent or $26,845.