Quick Facts
Among Head Start preschool-age children, 85% received preventive dental care and 88% have completed a professional dental examination during the 2010-2011 program year.
At the end of the 2010-2011 program year: 96% of Head Start children had health insurance; 97% had a medical home; 93% had appropriate immunizations; and 90% were up-to-date on their state schedule of well child care visits.
In 2011, 12% of Head Start children had disabilities, and 99% of these children received special services.
Through Early Head Start, more than 16,000 pregnant women received services to support the health and development of their babies in 2011.
Head Start programs operate in 57,000 classrooms in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and six territories.
30% of Head Start participants speak a language other than English at home, representing more than 140 languages.
Over 1.3 million adultsvolunteered in Head Start programs in 2011
Nearly 870,000 of whom were parents.
- 17
Children's Bureau grants
were awarded in 2008 to support research on home visiting programs to prevent child maltreatment.
- 15%
decrease in the number of child abuse victims between 2005 and 2009.