83% of PA Voters Support Funding Head Start
HARRISBURG (April 17, 2025) – Head Start provides an invaluable service to more than 750,000 children across all 50 states. In Pennsylvania alone, Head Start serves nearly 30,000 children at 806 centers and employs almost 10,000 staff members.
Over the past few weeks, five Head Start Regional Offices were closed, representing half of all regional offices across the country, including 22 states, six territories and 467 Tribal governments. More recently, federal Administration officials are proposing to eliminate the program in its entirety; a program, which should be noted, that an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians support.
“We are incredibly saddened and deeply concerned about the future of Head Start,” said CEO/President of Community Services for Children, Deidra Vachier. “Funding cuts and the potential elimination of Head Start will hurt our most vulnerable children. Early learning opportunities provide critical cognitive, social, and emotional development, and Head Start offers those foundational skills to low-income families.”
Head Start is a program that provides working parents living in poverty with children under age five with a variety of services including: early learning classes for their children, connections to health care and support for these families to achieve self-sufficiency. And according to a recent poll by Susquehanna Polling and Research, 83% of Pennsylvania voters support the use of state and/or federal funds to pay for the Head Start program. The same poll showed that 98% of Pennsylvania voters believe that early childhood education is important and helps children lead healthy and productive lives.
“At a time when research has not only proven that early education provides life-long benefits to children who are provided the opportunity but that an overwhelming majority of voters believe that it is important, it is indefensible that funding cuts and potential elimination of such a vital program are on the table,” said the PA Head Start Association Executive Director, Kara McFalls. “Head Start is an important investment in our youngest learners, their families, our communities, and our nation.”
Research shows that Head Start improves educational outcomes, health, and social development for our most at-risk children and provides a safe, caring environment for the children of working Head Start families.
Head Start parents and guardians are working families, with 66% of them working, in job training, or currently in school. In fact, 84% of Head Start parents and guardians have a high school diploma, GED, vocational training, associates, baccalaureate, or advanced degree.
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About Pre-K for PA
Pre-K for PA launched in 2014 with the vision that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Learn more atwww.prekforpa.org. State and federally funded Head Start programs are a core component of Pennsylvania’s publicly funded pre-k system.
