Bill 119 hr 728, also known as the Head Start Eligibility Expansion Act, aims to amend the Head Start Act to include additional forms of public assistance as eligible for enrollment in the Head Start program. The bill specifi...
cally targets Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, and federal housing assistance.
By expanding the eligibility criteria to include these forms of public assistance, the bill seeks to ensure that more low-income families and children have access to the comprehensive early childhood education and development services provided by the Head Start program. This expansion is intended to address the barriers that prevent many eligible families from enrolling in Head Start due to their reliance on these specific forms of public assistance.
The bill does not propose any changes to the existing services or structure of the Head Start program itself, but rather focuses on broadening the pool of eligible participants. Proponents of the bill argue that by including TANF, SSI, SNAP, WIC, and federal housing assistance recipients in the eligibility criteria, more vulnerable children will have the opportunity to benefit from the educational, health, nutrition, and family support services offered by Head Start.
As of now, the bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process and has not yet been voted on by Congress. It is important to note that the information provided in this summary is based on the text of the bill itself and may be subject to changes as it progresses through the legislative process.