AS THE PUBLIC-SCHOOL year and the Rhode Island General Assembly session draw to a close and families are gearing up for weekends at the beach, we must remember that 400 vulnerable young children in the state may be turned away from Head Start in September because of the state budget crisis. This proposed budget savings comes at the expense of our children and creates future costs for our public schools and for the state at large.

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.

Jana Dunlap has taught for nearly two decades; Lori Deniston is in her first year of teaching.

Fitter, more energetic youngsters may soon be filling the region's Head Start classrooms after the implementation of a new physical activity program.

New research proves that a "dose" of hands-on health care training  can transform parents' abilities to care for common childhood ailments  at home - and save Medicaid millions of dollars annually.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has rejected a bid by the Arlington County school system to take over the county's federally funded Head Start program, which provides preschool for disadvantaged children.