An Important Program You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Enough About

Early Head Start (EHS) is one of the few programs in America designed specifically for our most vulnerable babies and toddlers, including those living in poverty. It serves children from birth to age 3, along with pregnant women, offering free, full-day care and wraparound services that go beyond diapers and naps.

It’s not babysitting. It’s brain development, family support, and economic mobility all wrapped into one.

Why Early Head Start Matters Right Now

As we bring families back into EHS classrooms this fall, we’re not just reopening doors. We’re restoring critical access. These aren’t just “young learners.” These are the kids most likely to fall through the cracks before they ever reach preschool.

When kids participate in Early Head Start:

• They show better language and social-emotional development.

• Their parents are more likely to get or keep jobs.

• The gains carry into preschool and beyond.

And yet: only 1 in 10 eligible infants and toddlers are served.(National Head Start Association)

The Numbers That Should Wake Us Up

• High-quality birth-to-five early education programs - like EHS - generate around a 13% annual return through long-term benefits in education, health, employment, and social outcomes, as shown by Nobel laureate James Heckman’s research into programs like ABC/CARE.

• The National Forum on Early Childhood Policy & Programs, among others, reports that every dollar put into quality early childhood education returns $4 to $9 through reduced crime, lower special‑education costs, improved health, and increased lifetime earnings.

• According to Census and other child-welfare data, approximately 3 million children under age 5 live in poverty, meaning more than 2 million under age 3 are affected.

  
  

We are drastically under-serving the population who needs support the most and the ones who benefit the most.

Back to Classrooms = Back to Opportunity

Returning to in-person EHS matters because the classroom environment is the intervention:

• Routines build security.

• Peer interaction fuels learning.

• On-site services (developmental screenings, family goal-setting, job training referrals) create a ripple effect far beyond the child.

  
  

These aren’t just child development checkboxes. For many families, they are the first - and sometimes only - chance at support systems that change the trajectory of their lives.

We don’t get a second chance at the first three years of life. Returning Early Head Start families to classrooms isn’t just about reopening, it’s about recommitting. To equity. To potential. To the idea that all children deserve a strong start, not just the lucky few.