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Originally Posted by ThePenguin
No, I worked for Head Start for 5 years and quit when I had my daughter. It is a great program but for it to really work it NEEDS funding. IMO THIS is where this country should be investing millions, not out on Mars or in space somewhere. Those kids truly are born w/ so much stacked against them; it broke my heart to see 17 year old parents trade their food stamps for drugs or alcohol, or spend their monthly checks on fancy hip sneakers instead of paying their electric bills, or buying winter coats for their kids. I could go on and on. Head Start could accomplish so much more if it had the $ to do so.
-Lis
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I hear ya loud and clear!!! I used to tutor kids from the projects in New Orleans after school. It would break my heart to see the literal abuse by what I thought all of their parents would cause them with their financial choices. But, it always brighten my day when I finally realized in my small micro world - those parents were the minority and most of the kids that were there were there because their parent or parents (sometimes grandparent(s)) were working and they could not go home. I had these people cry to me and praise me for all of my good work. I mean I was just doing this in the beginning because I had nothing better to do and thought it was a good thing to do. I had NO IDEA the positive effect it had on so many. I mean when, as I had, an 11 year old kid's dad who is illiterate like his father before him and has worked in hard labor in the hot Louisiana sun for 10 hours picks up his kid and then cries on your shoulder because his kid can read and is now getting better marks in school because of the program you are a small part of - PPHHEEWW!!!!!
I mean that is so hard to take when you you are not in any way from that - it is disconcerting and fulfilling at the same time.
So, yes, they need to fund any and all programs like Head Start.