Imagine sending your child to a federally funded early-childhood program, thinking they’re in a safe, nurturing environment, only to discover they’ve been repeatedly exposed to hazardous mold.
Imagine hearing that a teacher entrusted with your child’s care grabbed him or her by the hood of his or her jacket and slammed him or her to the ground.
These are not the nightmares of some dystopian novel. These are real events uncovered in a recent Government Accountability Office report about the Head Start program—a cornerstone of early-childhood education in the United States.
Commissioned by the House Education and Workforce Committee, the GAO’s investigation paints a grim picture of systemic failure within Head Start, particularly in centers managed by interim administrators.
For at least five years, the Office of Head Start—the agency responsible…
