Improving Head Start Act Of 2007
Floor Speech
IMPROVING HEAD START ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - June 19, 2007)
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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I would like to inquire of Chairman Kennedy regarding the State advisory councils on early childhood education and care included in S. 556, the Head Start for School Readiness Act.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, S. 556 affirms the active role that States have in coordinating their system of early childhood education programs, and encourages States to enhance that role to increase the quality of programs available to young children. The act designates an early care and education council in each State for the purposes of conducting an inventory of children's needs and exploring the availability of prekindergarten opportunities; exploring areas for collaboration and coordination across programs; developing plans for data collection and to support the professional development of early childhood educators; and providing for the review and upgrading of State early learning standards. For those States prepared and interested in moving forward with a statewide plan encompassing these activities, S. 556 provides for one-time incentive grants to further develop and implement these important efforts.
S. 556 also permit States to designate an existing entity to serve as the State advisory council on early childhood education and care, if such entity includes representation consistent with members mentioned in the act.
Mrs. MURRAY. I thank the chairman for his explanation of these provisions. I am concerned, however, that it may not be practical for States with existing advisory councils to reconfigure their membership to reflect all of the individuals mentioned in the Head Start bill. In my home State of Washington, we are leading the way on early childhood coordination and reform with the establishment in 2005 of Governor Gregoire's cabinet-level Department of Early Learning and the Early Learning Council, which became the Early Learning Advisory Council. The council is working hard to make sure early learning programs in my State are aligned and are providing high quality services. However, I want to make sure that the council is not unduly burdened for being a leader, and that it will not have to reconstitute its membership. I ask the chairman for his commitment to work with me as this bill is considered in conference with the House, to further resolve this issue.
Mr. KENNEDY. I agree and would be happy to work with you on this issue. S. 556 directs Governors to designate specific individuals as members of the State advisory council to the maximum extent possible. While some members may need to be added by States to their existing councils in order to meet the goals of this legislation, I agree fully that Governors will need some flexibility in this function. Therefore, I support grant additional discretion as they consider the makeup and function of their existing councils in relation to the roles and responsibilities under this Act.
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