WHEREAS:

Union activists and child care advocates alike are in agreement that President Barack Obama’s support for Head Start in his Budget Proposal for FY 2011 would allow the program to improve its gains for children across the nation; and

WHEREAS:
Long-term studies have pointed out that children influenced by Head Start have decreased criminal activity, child mortality rates, high school drop-out rates, need for special education, need to repeat grades later on in school and increased achievement test scores, high school graduation rates and immunization rates; and

WHEREAS:
For 45 years, Head Start has provided comprehensive and successful services for more than 23 million low-income families in this nation’s rural and metropolitan communities, encouraging children to develop and having positive impacts on parenting practices; and

WHEREAS:
Head Start is America at its best, delivering medical, dental, mental health screening, parenting resources and other social and health services, in addition to necessary early education services, which prepares these children to compete with their peers with more resources; and

WHEREAS:
Head Start participants demonstrate significant increases in vocabulary, letter recognition, math skills and writing abilities by the spring of their kindergarten year.  Head Start children have higher levels of social-emotional development than other children in the cited studies; and

WHEREAS:
Studies have indicated that the Head Start investment pays society by children’s increased earnings, employment and family stability over the past forty-five years.  For every dollar spent on Head Start, studies have demonstrated that society receives nearly nine dollars in benefits.  Head Start children are less likely to have been charged with a crime than their siblings, who did not participate in the training; and
 
WHEREAS:
Head Start children have greater access to health and dental services.  These children might never receive these services without professional staff intervention, including more immunizations, increased coping skills and decreased feelings of anxiety, depression and sickness.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME, the AFL-CIO and other labor organizations join with local and national child care organizations to fight for the recommended $986 million proposed for FY 2011 to help Head Start preserve and improve the gains the program has accomplished over the past 45 years; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME continue to organize unorganized Head Start and other child care workers across the nation to insure that these workers enjoy the benefits that organized Head Start workers have known for decades.
 
 
SUBMITTED BY: 
Betty Powell, President
Sandra Montrose, Secretary
AFSCME Local 95, Council 1707
New York