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Head Start’s Footprint: Children's Learning and Education
This report explores Head Start’s educational reach and impact. We review major tenets in Head Start policy that shape its focus on education, and synthesize the research on the impacts of Head Start on children’s pre-academic and long term academic success, and the benefits communities see from ensuring all income-eligible children in their communities can access Head Start. We also review research from other countries that document the detriment to communities, schools, and all students when children who live in communities are excluded from education, including early education like Head Start, due to immigration documentation. We also explore research on the impact of administrative burden, particularly on families experiencing homelessness, families of children with disabilities, and children involved in the child welfare system, among others.