""One of the key items on First 5 LA’s Public Policy Agenda made significant progress last week in Congress. By overwhelming margins, a bipartisan measure passed in both the House and Senate to reauthorize Head Start, a comprehensive child development program for low-income 3- and 4-year-olds. It also includes a small component to work with children birth to 3 years old, called Early Head Start.

The "Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007" reflects the positions that First 5 LA, along with members of the Prenatal through Three Policy Roundtable, advocated in letters to Congress this spring. These improvements include setting aside half of all expansion funds toward Early Head Start, which is significant considering less than three percent of eligible infants and toddlers are currently able to access Early Head Start services. The bill also strengthens the training and staffing requirement for the infant and toddler-focused program.

Congress also approved a partial version of the "increase in eligibility level" element that First 5 LA had sought. Currently, families with incomes over 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), or $17,000 per year for a family of three, earn too much to participate in Head Start. Under the new bill, some families with incomes up to 130 percent of the FPL will be able to participate. In addition, homeless children were designated as a priority for enrollment.

Acknowledging the importance of quality improvement for early childhood programs, the measure reserves 40 percent of the new funds for quality enhancements, including increased compensation to enable recruitment of credentialed teachers. It addresses workforce improvements and training for teachers who work with English language learning children. Notably, the proposed law eliminates the controversial Head Start National Testing System, an annual achievement assessment of four-year-olds participating in the program.

While the legislation has enough support that it is likely to be veto-proof, it is funded under the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education appropriations bill that was recently vetoed. That measure included a $154 million increase for the Head Start program. More will be needed to fully implement the policy changes passed by Congress. Next steps for the legislation include the President’s signature and a signature or veto override of the Appropriations bill containing the funding for it.




Pride Month 2025: Building a Society Without Discrimination

Pride Month 2025: Building a Society Without Discrimination

Building a Society Without Discrimination “If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society." Those words from Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin take on renewed meaning this June as we...

Celebrating Home Visiting in LA

Celebrating Home Visiting in LA

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer May 22, 2025 Opening your home to a stranger can be scary. Especially if you're a new mom.   Just ask Dani. After the birth of her son, she got a call from a parent educator asking if she'd like to participate in a home visiting...

Conversations That Count: Encouraging Bilingualism in Young Learners

Conversations That Count: Encouraging Bilingualism in Young Learners

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer April 22, 2025 The young boy is talking about cognates.   "I know some words in Spanish," Mateo tells the nice lady sitting next to him in the booth. "When we watch these videos, they show the word first in English and then, at the...

Statement from First 5 LA President & CEO, Karla Pleitéz Howell : First 5 LA Stands in Solidarity with L.A. County’s Immigrant Community

FIRST 5 LA BOARD EXPLORES INITIATIVE 3: MATERNAL & CHILD WELL-BEING

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer May 22, 2025 First 5 LA’s Board of Commissioners Meeting was convened on May 8. Highlights of the meeting included a discussion on the proposed First 5 LA budget for the new fiscal year; a presentation on First 5 LA’s Maternal &...

AANHPI Heritage Month 2025: Leadership and Resilience

AANHPI Heritage Month 2025: Leadership and Resilience

Hello! Aloha! Kumusta! Xin chào! May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Originally established as a weeklong observance in 1978 and expanded to a month in 1992, this annual celebration is a valuable opportunity to honor...

Help Me Grow LA: Connecting the Dots to Healthy Child Development

Help Me Grow LA: Connecting the Dots to Healthy Child Development

By, Ruel Nolledo | Freelance Writer March 27, 2025 Shakur was 2 when he started crossing his fingers. It happened a lot. His mom, Brooklynn, noticed that the behavior happened every time they visited the local park. That's when she did some sleuthing online and...

Translate