Head Start Turns 60: Honoring Its Legacy and Fighting for Its Future
On Sunday, May 18th, Head Start celebrates 60 years as a federal early care and education program serving over 800,000 young children across the nation, 17,000 of whom are in Arizona.
The Arizona Head Start Association and Children’s Action Alliance held a presentation and panel discussion in Eloy, Arizona, on Monday, May 12th, on what the dismantling of Head Start means to our rural communities. We thank our partner panelists, Joe Barba, Lori Masseur, and Charity Russell, for their expertise and engaging discussion, and our two amazing parents, Belinda Sherwood and Maricela Guillen, who joined to share their impactful stories.
We were also thrilled with our special guests, including staff members from U.S. Senators Kelly and Gallego’s offices, Eloy City Councilmember JoAnne Galindo, and Congressman Juan Ciscomani. Congressman Ciscomani offered closing remarks where he reaffirmed his strong support for Head Start and knows that early care and education matters. Congressman Ciscomani stated he would expand access for Head Start across Arizona, not cut funding.
Head Start isn’t just a program—it’s a lifeline. Cutting it in rural Arizona would leave families stranded in areas with limited access to child care and health support services:
- Head Start plays an outsized role in the rural child care landscape, existing in 86% of rural counties
- Approximately 46% of all funded Head Start slots are in rural congressional districts
- Without Head Start, many rural communities would have no licensed child care centers
As we celebrate six decades of this vital program, we must continue to raise public awareness, amplify local voices, and build momentum to protect access to all early care and education programs.
