Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-head-start-advantage/5023264/
For Head Start alum Chuck Mills, the Head Start Advantage meant having the opportunities he needed to exceed all expectations. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, and Shreveport, Louisiana, many of Mills’ neighbors — as well as his siblings — dropped out of school, battled addiction, or spent time in prison. Drawing on the skills and early learning he was exposed to in Head Start, Mills became valedictorian of his junior high school, and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who flew two U.S. Presidents in the Marine One helicopter. He is also the founder and chief executive of two successful companies. For Chuck, the youngest of six children raised by a single mother, the Head Start Advantage meant access to the American Dream.
What is the Head Start Advantage? A lifetime of better outcomes, empowered families and communities, and increased opportunities for children to succeed collectively. The Head Start Advantage lasts through high school, college, and even into parenthood. It changes children’s life trajectories, one at a time.
The face of poverty is changing in America. This past year the United States saw the largest one-year decrease in its overall poverty rate since 1999; as compared to last year, 3.5 million ...