The Family Room Blog

ACF is Heading into 2023 with Momentum

Assistant Secretary January Contreras shares ACF's 2023 priorities.

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Supporting Children and Families Since 1965

October is Head Start Awareness Month, during which we raise awareness around the importance of supporting the whole child from birth to age 5 through comprehensive services. We also share our appreciation for the dedicated child care professionals, community partnerships, and volunteers who assist and share in our commitment to working toward equitable, high-quality inclusive early child care and education programs and practices for children and their families

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Head Start Programs Are for Families

Family is the heart of the mission for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). We believe that families are the most important partner when it comes to improving outcomes for individual children, families, and communities. Family is what Head Start programs are all about. Head Start programs continue to be the nation’s premier provider of early childhood education and comprehensive services for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, pregnant people and a consistent partner with families. The work of Head Start programs exemplify the core values of ACF — to provide support to enrolled families when they need it most.

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October is Head Start Awareness Month!

Head Start programs partner with families to help America’s children succeed in school and in life. Serving more than a million children from birth to 5 each year, Head Start programs are integral contributors to the human services ecosystem in almost every community. The Head Start program is an investment in a child, a family, and a community.

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Renewing our commitment to inclusive early childhood programs and practices

ACF and the Office of Early Childhood Development is committed to serving the needs of children with disabilities and their families.

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May 18th marks 56 years since the launch of Project Head Start

Today, we are celebrating 56 years of Head Start, and 26 years of Early Head Start. On Jan. 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson took up the cause of building a "Great Society" by signing into law the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and Project Head Start was born. Ever since, Head Start has served as the building block for comprehensive early childhood education and development for children from birth to five and their families.

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Using Tribal Input for a Tribal Early Childhood Blueprint for Action

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) and the Office of Early Childhood Development, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, led a series of meetings with tribal leaders to build a Blueprint for Action for federal early childhood programs to promote a better future for tribal children

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Early Childhood Health and Well-being Partnerships for Shared Learning, Action, and Impact

ACF’s Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD) convened the Early Childhood Health and Well-being Federal Leadership Group in 2020 to focus on improving outcomes for young children and their families and agreed on a shared goal.

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Happy Birthday ECD! The Journey is Just Getting Started!

ACF's Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD) is committed to engaging partners in meaningful ways and bringing unlikely partners together to push our thinking and engage in shared learning and shared action for shared impact.

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