Department Of Health And Human Services: $8 Billion Pre-K Program Touted By Obama Isn’t Working

President Obama loves to tout the success of a multi-billion-dollar early education program that supposedly helps reduce poverty, yet a government study reveals that it really doesn’t work.

Obama keeps pushing the federally-funded universal preschool program known as Head Start even though his own Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has determined that it’s ineffective. Remember how he cited “study after study” showing that the government’s investment in universal preschool pays for itself during the State of Union earlier this month?

It turns out that one of those studies, published last fall by his own HHS, reveals that Head Start isn’t working despite its whopping $8 billion a year price tag. In fact, children who participated in Head Start did worse in math and had problems with social interactions by third grade than those who didn’t go through the federal program.

“There were initial positive impacts from having access to Head Start, but by the end of 3rd grade there were very few impacts….in any of the four domains of cognitive, social-emotional, health and parenting practices,” according to the HHS study. “The few impacts that were found did not show a clear pattern of favorable or unfavorable impacts for children.”

Yet the president is committed to the program and will keep pouring more money into it. His White House education web site explains that Head Start “helps prevent achievement gaps before they start” because the program will provide children from disadvantaged backgrounds with a strong start and a foundation for school success. “Expanding access to high quality early childhood education is among the smartest investments that we can make,” according to the White House site.

Public education— from kindergarten through 12th grade—has long been available for free in the U.S., but parents must pay to send their children to preschool. This creates a disadvantage for those who can’t afford it, according to the Obama administration. So the government must step in with the federally-funded Head Start.

The goal is to “boost the school readiness of low-income children.” The program is based on the “whole child” model and also provides “comprehensive services” such as medical, dental, mental health care and nutritional services designed around a family’s ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage. Thank you Uncle Sam!

Source: Judicial Watch

When I was growing up, my father was a school teacher, he later became a principal of a High School then became a Superintendant of a School District in Illinois where I grew up. At one point in his career he was very involved in the " Head Start " Program. To this day he'll tell ya that it doesn't work and is a total bust. This is from a guy that wanted it so desperately to work.

Whatever happened to the notion of parents reading to and with their children and parents teaching their children with “flash cards” – at home? Why do libertards have this desperate need to believe that the “state” can do these things better?

Whatever happened to the notion of parents reading to and with their children and parents teaching their children with “flash cards” – at home? Why do libertards have this desperate need to believe that the “state” can do these things better? Originally Posted by I B Hankering

They can't bring themselves to blame low income parents. They want to believe the parents are working two full time and two part time jobs to barely scrape by. They choose to ignore the fact the parents are neglecting their children in many cases, perhaps occasionally Forbidden topic CC and drinking beer rather than playing hide and seek and reading to their kids.

Anybody remember when Head Start was begun?

1965, under LBJ.

so before you start gang banging Obama over this, SEE, put things into perspective.

the article you cite is from a dubious source and is pure right wing anti-Obama blather. You didn't read the report, did you? How about the executive summary? The report your story quotes makes it clear that there is a significant impact on a child's school readiness through 3rd grade; the degree of that readiness varies by age of the enrolled child.

ACCORDING TO THIS STUDY, THE PROGRAMS WORKING!

It didn't work then, and it doesn't work now. Obama has nothing to do with it's success or failure. He's just allowing money to be pumped into the program cause he thinks that will make it work.

Is it up to Obama or Congress to fund Head Start?

Head Start's sad and costly secret -- what Washington doesn't want you ...
http://fxn.ws/UZdN6EWashington’s 48-year experiment with federal preschool has failed to deliver long-lasting, positive developments for its participa ...



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/...#ixzz2M7Tvp8WZ

They choose to ignore the fact the parents are neglecting their children in many cases, perhaps occasionally Forbidden topic CC and drinking beer rather than playing hide and seek and reading to their kids. Originally Posted by Jewish Lawyer

unless their kid is their Forbidden topic CC...... and besides would a kid really want a drunk Forbidden topic CC reading to them?

And, as we all know, when there's a cultural problem the only thing to do is a little "ethnic cleansing," right? Hell, let's round 'em up, place the offenders in camps (preferably along the San Andreas Fault) and let nature take its course. Be sure to include all of the Applacian whites, too. But, the quality of athletics will suffer mightily.

And, as we all know, when there's a cultural problem the only thing to do is a little "ethnic cleansing," right? Hell, let's round 'em up, place the offenders in camps (preferably along the San Andreas Fault) and let nature take its course. Be sure to include all of the Applacian whites, too. But, the quality of athletics will suffer mightily. Originally Posted by Randy4Candy

Was the misspelling of "Appalachian" intentional or hereditary?

None of the above, JL, simply a function to tinking faster than I can type - poor hand to mind coordination. BTW, it is tHinking...heh heh heh. Missed the sarcasm in my previous post, did ya?

Don't you just love SEE'S headlines?

None of the above, JL, simply a function to tinking faster than I can type - poor hand to mind coordination. BTW, it is tHinking...heh heh heh. Missed the sarcasm in my previous post, did ya? Originally Posted by Randy4Candy

I thought that might be part of it, actually...