Vanessa Dorion has come to rely on the South Boston Head Start program, where her 4-year-old son, Brody, has thrived since he started coming in September. But there's a word that has unnerved her and most of the other parents who have children in the program — sequestration.
Action For Boston Community Development officials say sequestration would slash by 15 percent the $24 million in federal funds the agency receives for Head Start programs across Boston. That would mean cutting 250 slots for children and potential pay cuts for staff. And it could force the closure of one or more of the 38 Head Start centers serving about 2,500 children in the city.
Comments
If the program is beneficial I am sure state and local funds can be used to supplement the gap. It's time to take back control from malfunctioning Washington
Tim what is scathe is two people disliked your comment. Apparently some like having Washington decide what is best for us. Not to mention their desire to fund an unnecessary layer of government.
Which layer of government is unnecessary, mba73? The Federal government, which funds Head Start? Or is it state or local government, which funds K-12 that is unnecessary?
Governor Patrick should cut off Welfare for the 47,000. missing recipients, there's a good chance their scamming the system considering they can't be located, that's a start. So much fraud and waste, time to get a handle on it.
I don't know how the Republicans live with themselves. This lack of childhood education will just cost us more money down the road, when these children grow up having difficulty getting jobs, paying taxes, and perhaps turning to crime. Taking care of our youngest children is an investment that pays for itself multiple times over.
Why do you feel the need for the federal government to fund a state and local responsibility? More of your dollar would make it into the schools if your money stayed in Massachusetts instead of being filtered through Washington.
Mba73: If state and local governmenet wanted to fund pre-school they would already have done it, but they have not. Head Start is pre-school for poor kids, which gives those kids a shot at staying up with your kids when they start first grade, and allows the teacher not to have to teach basic skills (that your kids learn through having had the advantages of say, parents who read to them, or who take them to the Childrens museum.)
This comment has been removed.
Some people just dont get it. Republicans want to justify their arrogance by saying you got your tax increase now we won't negotiate any more. Well yes their was a an increase to the top 2%, but it is historically still the lowest rate for that group in 100 years. So lets throw the kids and the seniors under the bus, Cut programs like head start and programs like meals on wheels and then say see we told you we were done with tax increases. its just plain stupid. Do not try to justify this with claims of waste in other areas. Grow up republicans. You are not children in the sand box anymore and you cant take your ball and go home.
The House passed a bill that would allow the Obama administation flexibility on what to cut so it doesn't adversly effect many people. The Senate decided not to act on this and Obama would have vetoe'd the bill anyway becasue the Dems want this to happen so they can make the cuts much more drastic to grab headlines and label the blame on the GOP. That is the Dem's formula. Denograte the GOP so they can blame them in 2014, have full majortiy in all three branches and them become Massachusetts (one party system).
dewitt buddy, I know you collect from the government somehow but I took a 20 dollar a week hit in my pay (takehome pay actually) for your subsidized living standard, AND I DON'T LIKE IT! Maybe you and auntie Z like it BUT I DON'T. BTW, I'm nowhere NEAR the top 2% of wage earners in this "country" and I actually WORK for a living. It's ending bro, get used to it.
Head Start doesn't work. A recently released report from a respected institution says no benefit. It's just a free meal and baby sitting that has cost taxpayers 180 billion since its inception.
Please cite the study and your source, because all of the research that I know about has shown Head Start to have a positive lasting impact.
http://home.uchicago.edu/~ludwigj/papers/NYAS-LudwigPhillips-HeadStart-2008.pdf
<<Taken together, these effect estimates suggest that
Head Start—as it operated in the 1960s through
1980s—generated benefits in excess of program costs,
with a benefit–cost ratio that could be as large as the
7-to-1 figure often cited for model early childhood programs,>
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/head-start-tragic-waste-money
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. This is a shabby trick. When local politicians are trying to bludgeon the voters into a Prop. 2 1/2 override it's always "We'll have to close the dump on weekends, eliminate the high school football team, and lay off half the teachers." It's never eliminating art therapy programs for transgendered homeless. For the President of the United States to resort to the same sort of lies is pathetic. Our kids went to preschool too. We paid for it. Ourselves. We've had the Headstart program since 1964 and I don't see the kids getting any smarter.
This comment has been removed.
Wow, the Boston Globe - 7 comments and five of them are not buying into the crap our leader has been feeding the country. There is hope for us!!!
There is absolutely no valid proof that the enormously expensive HeadStart welfare program works.
This comment has been removed.
Taken together, these effect estimates suggest that
Head Start—as it operated in the 1960s through
1980s—generated benefits in excess of program costs,
with a benefit–cost ratio that could be as large as the
7-to-1 figure often cited for model early childhood programs,
Taken from: http://home.uchicago.edu/~ludwigj/papers/NYAS-LudwigPhillips-HeadStart-2008.pdf
Isnt this where all those people who claim they don't pay enough in taxes can start donating? The get to accomplish two things- feel superior to those who don't feel govt is the answer and second use their own money for a change.
This comment has been removed.
How many minutes has it been since you used a government subsidized service?
What you want, Numeral, is a free ride.