New CLASP Fact Sheets Highlight 2010-2011 Program Year Data on Head Start and Early Start
Nov 14, 2012
Using data from the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) , CLASP has developed two new fact sheets providing a look at the Head Start preschool and Early Head Start programs in the 2010-2011 program year. These new fact sheets explore the characteristics of children and families served by the programs, as well as the programs themselves and their staff. Some highlights include:
- In 2011, the Head Start preschool program served over 942,000 young children and their families through 1,789 grantees nationwide. This is a decrease of nearly 130,000 children from 2010.
- By the end of the program year, 97 percent of children in the Head Start preschool program had a medical home for ongoing care and 93 percent had a source for ongoing dental care.
- Eighty-eight percent of Head Start preschool teachers had at least an associate degree (A.A.) in early childhood education or a related field - an increase of 3 percent from 2010.
- Spanish was the primary home language for 24 percent of children in Head Start preschool programs.
- In 2011, the Early Head Start program served more than 148,000 children under the age of 3 and about 16,700 pregnant women through 1,028 grantees nationwide. In 2011, there were increases in grantees, as well as, children and pregnant women served compared to 2010.
- Twenty-seven percent of Early Head Start participants in 2011 were from a home where English was not the primary language.
- Eighty-four percent of Early Head Start families accessed at least one support service in 2010 ranging from parenting education to emergency and crisis intervention, representing a 2 percent increase from 2010.
- In 2011, the percent of EHS teachers with at least an associate degree increased 3 percent from the previous year to 54 percent. Twenty-seven percent of EHS teachers have bachelor's degrees in early childhood education or a related field (up from 24 percent in 2010).