Executive Summary, A Descriptive Study of the Head Start Health Component

Publication Date: December 15, 1996
Current as of:

Introduction

A Descriptive Study of the Head Start Health Component was designed to provide a "national snapshot" of how local Head Start programs meet the medical, dental, nutrition, and mental health needs of the children and families they serve. The Head Start Bureau requires this information for the development of policies that will assist programs in responding to the populations of families served and the conditions faced by local programs. This need was noted in both the Final Report of the Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion, (1993) and the Head Start Research and Evaluation Report: A Blueprint for the Future (1990). This descriptive study was undertaken because little current information was available regarding how program procedures address the health conditions that are common among Head Start children, the community health risks faced by families participating in Head Start, and the health resources available in the communities served by Head Start.