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Early Head Start and our vision for American familiesThank you, Wade (Horn), for that kind introduction. You've been a good friend to me and to America's families, and I'm proud to be on the same team with you. We have so many outstanding Americans here. Joan Ohl (Commissioner of ACYF) … Windy Hill (Associate Commissioner of the Head Start Bureau) … Shannon Christian … (Associate Commissioner of the Child Care Bureau) … thank you all for your hard work and dedication. And I want to thank Matthew Melmed (Executive Director of the Zero to Three) and Tammy Mann (conference project director) for their passion for America's children - and for their dedicated work in making this conference a reality. Thank you all so very much. It is certainly my privilege to attend this Seventh Annual Birth to Three Conference. And it's a real pleasure to address fine Americans who share President Bush's deep concern for our nation's children. Make no mistake … every one of you here is playing a crucial role in shaping the lives and destiny of our children - and our country. We are wholeheartedly committed to the American family. Someone once called the family "the DNA of society." That's dead on. We've seen that without the family, morals crumble, values go untaught, and social ills multiply. So much of what we do at HHS is dedicated to strengthening families. We emphasize the need for fathers who are responsible and present … we work to make sure mothers and their unborn children stay healthy … and we strive to see that our children develop and grow strong. Parenting is tough work. Many of you in this room know that firsthand, and we all know it from our work with children. Bill Cosby used to tell a story about how even God had trouble with his kids: After creating Heaven and Earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing He said to them was: "Don't eat the forbidden fruit." And Adam said, "Okay." A few minutes later God saw the kids having an apple break and He was angry. "Didn't I tell you not to eat that fruit?" he asked. "Yeah," Adam replied. "Then why did you?" asked God. Adam answered, "I dunno." God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. And if He had trouble handling children, what made us think it would be a piece of cake for us? Fortunately, all of you are here to extend a helping hand to the parents of America who need it. A central part of our work for America's children is the Early Head Start program. Since 1995, Early Head Start has focused on the healthy cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers. Children's first and most important teachers are their parents. That's why your programs work with families to ensure that they understand the developmental needs of their children. In our vision of government, empowering communities is just as important as supporting families. Early Head Start is part of that vision. As a Federal to local program, Early Head Start designs and implements its services to meet the specific needs of the families and communities it serves. Communities are not all alike - and government programs should reflect that. As governor of Wisconsin, I fought hard to make sure my state was able to do what it needed, when it needed to, for the people of Wisconsin. We didn't need solutions from Washington that too often solved nothing - but we did sometimes need Washington's help in implementing our own solutions. I'm proud that Early Head Start, with its center-based, home-based, and combination programs, meets the needs of parents, families and communities - and not the needs of Washington. Our approach is showing results. The innovative ideas and methods that Early Head Start - and Head Start itself - are using have been adopted by state and local early childhood programs. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then you can be proud that the work that you are doing with Early Head Start is reaching children and families across the country who may never have heard of it. They're imitating you because they know that Early Head Start works. Results from the recent Early Head Start National Evaluation show that Early Head Start is making a difference in the lives of American children and their families. Early Head Start has improved the cognitive, language, and social-emotional development of many children. And Early Head Start parents were more supportive of children's emotional, cognitive, and language development. They also spent more time reading to their children, and taking their own significant steps toward self-sufficiency. Children are better prepared, and parents are better able to raise their children. Someone once said, "You know children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers." I remember when I started getting those more complicated questions from my three children - about the same time I started referring them to their mother. All of you here can be proud that you help get our nation's kids to that stage. I've talked about our vision of government and our vision of the American family. But here at HHS, we have yet another vision - the vision of One Department. Early Head Start truly exemplifies the One Department philosophy. Providing for American children from birth to three as well as their parents means bringing together prenatal care resources … disabilities resources … nutrition resources … childcare resources … and even education and job training resources to help parents achieve financial independence. Early Head Start works effectively with other HHS programs and agencies such as the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the Child Care Bureau, and the Child Outcomes Research and Evaluation Division. That's a proud record and a shining example to the rest of the Department. And you haven't stopped there. Early Head Start programs have also developed significant partnerships with the private sector. For example, the George Foundation in Fort Bend County, Texas has purchased 3.6 acres of land and is paying $1 million for a facility for its local Early Head Start program. I understand that we have some representatives of the George Foundation here with us today - my friends, thank you for your compassion for the children of your community. Let me say it again - Early Head Start works. That's why other programs look to it for answers … that's why the compassionate private sector works with it … that's why parents seek its aid … and that's why, in 2001, we operated 650 Early Head Start programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. These programs served more than 55,000 children under the age of three. That's an impressive responsibility - but we can do more. Today I'm proud to announce that HHS is distributing $72 million in grants to 160 local agencies to administer the Early Head Start Program. We're reinforcing success. These funds will be used to increase Early Head Start enrollment by approximately 7,000 infants and toddlers, bringing total Early Head Start enrollment to over 62,000 children. Early Head Start will now be available in parts of the country it has never been. From Pasco County in Florida to the town of Superior in my own state of Wisconsin, this money will help make sure that the next generation of Americans grows up healthy and strong. When you consider the children and parents who will benefit, it's clear that this $72 million isn't just another government expenditure - it's an investment in the future of our great country. That investment won't end there, and it won't end with Early Head Start. Our One Department philosophy is itself part of a larger picture - the entire Administration can and must work together for the good of the children and parents. All of us, whether from HHS or beyond, are called to fulfill the President's vision of a government that works hard to strengthen the American family. That's why our Department is cooperating with the Departments of Education and Agriculture to produce a series of booklets in English and Spanish called "Healthy Start, Grow Smart." [HOLD UP GUIDE] These monthly guides will provide parents with valuable information about the early physical and cognitive development of their children. We're going to make them available for free to mothers with newborns who are receiving Medicaid services. We're doing this because we believe in the family … because we believe in the President's vision … and because it's the right thing to do. You who work with America's children and their families do so very much. You make sure our babies have proper nutrition … you help ensure our children receive a quality education … and you help our parents make the most of their opportunities for the sake of their kids. And you do it in time-tested, sound ways. George Bernard Shaw once said, "What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child." My friends, you fulfill that charge admirably. Thank you for your passion for America's children. Last Revised: January 24, 2003 |
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