WASHINGTON, DC In an effort to provide more children with improved access to early education, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee today voted to reauthorize the Head Start program for another 5 years. The Head Start program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides comprehensive early childhood development services to low-income children up to age five, to help them prepare for school. In Rhode Island, Head Start provides around 3000 children with essential education, social, and health services. Senator Reed, a member of the Senate HELP Committee, supported S. 556, the Head Start for School Readiness Act, which passed the Committee unanimously. In addition to several provisions authored by Reed, the legislation would authorize significant increases in funding for Head Start over the next five years. Head Start received $6.79 billion in federal funding last year, and the Bush Administration is again seeking this level of funding for this year. The program has been cut by 11 percent since 2002. Reed stated, "Head Start is a vital initiative for children in Rhode Island and nationwide. Since its inception, it has helped over 15 million children prepare for a successful education. I am pleased that the HELP Committee has passed this important legislation to provide the Head Start program with the federal funding and improvements it needs to keep helping children." During development of the legislation, Reed authored a provision to increase the income eligibility requirements to allow more children to qualify for the program. Currently, Head Start's income thresholds are lower than most other mean-tested federal programs. This change will allow low-income working families and children who may be just above the poverty line to participate in the program. "The success of the Head Start program in shaping the lives of young people has been demonstrated time and time again. It is important that we serve as many children and families in need of these important services as possible," stated Reed. "This new legislation will give more working parents a hand up and get their kids on the right track." Reed also led efforts to ensure that parents are able to participate more fully in the Head Start program through the Parent Policy Council. This council, made up of a majority of parents, would become a decision-making authority within the governing structure of Head Start. "Strong parent involvement in their children's early education and development has been a key tenet of the Head Start program since its inception, and is one of the primary reasons for the program's continuing success. The Parent Policy Council will afford parents an even greater opportunity to participate and help shape their child's early educational development," Reed stated. Reed also worked to ensure that the Head Start Reauthorization bill does not allow employers to discriminate based on religion. It also included his provisions to ensure enhanced coordination and partnerships between grantees and school and public libraries, to excite children about the world of books, assist in literacy training for Head Start teachers, and support parents and other caregivers in literacy efforts, and would ensure wider Head Start community participation on the State Advisory Council. "The Head Start community is deeply appreciative of Senator Reed's initiative to increase our eligibility guidelines to 130% of poverty, allowing the inclusion of Rhode Island children from very low income working families," stated Rhode Island Head Start Association Director, Lynda Dickinson. "We are extremely proud that Senator Reed has provided the leadership that will ensure the continued participation of low income parents in the governance of Head Start. He has always been, and remains, a true champion of low income children and their families." "Head Start has been a real success story in Rhode Island. I am pleased to support this program and make it stronger. I will continue to press for increased funding for Head Start so that more children and families have the necessary educational and developmental skills and tools they need and deserve, as well as access to health, social, and nutritional services to help them succeed," concluded Reed. The Head Start program is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Federal Head Start funds are provided directly to local grantees, and are locally designed and administered by a network of over 1,600 public and private nonprofit and for-profit agencies. In FY2005, Head Start funded enrollment for 906,993 children. The program was created in 1965 and was last reauthorized in 1998.