Monday, December 18, 2006

Children’s Defense Fund Decries 109th

 Congress’s Lack of Funding for Head Start

WASHINGTON - Children’s Defense Fund Communications Director Casey Aden-Wansbury made the following statement regarding the 109th Congress’s failure to reauthorize the successful Head Start program before adjourning for the year.

“The Children’s Defense Fund is deeply concerned that the 109th Congress adjourned without reauthorizing Head Start with additional funding.   Head Start urgently needs these additional funds to not only maintain quality services for the close to a million children currently enrolled in that program but also expand services to the millions more children presently eligible but not receiving Head Start.  CDF does not support any reauthorization that would allow religious discrimination in hiring or inappropriate testing of young children, as had been proposed this year.”

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The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.