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Subject:

Dear [ ],

(Edit Letter Below)

I understand that Congress is now considering a new economic stimulus package to deal with the worsening recession.  As your constituent, I am asking you to include $4.3 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start.

This is the one of the best investments of federal dollars that you can make into my community to help connect directly with the children and families that need help the most during these trying times.  An infusion of recovery funds into local Head Start communities would serve the growing ranks of our nation's neediest citizens.  It would be both an investment for the future and a cost-effective anti-poverty policy.

The $4.3 billion in economic recovery funds for Head Start and Early Head Start should be directed as follows:

- $3 billion to help cover operating expenses and to provide quality funds to enable Head Start and Early Head Start programs to address needs that have gone unmet in recent years. Much of these funds would be used to align the salaries of Head Start teachers and other staff with the rest of the marketplace in order to help reduce the current high level of turnover.

- The remaining $1.3 billion funds would provide an infusion of one-time funding to cover critical items for Head Start and Early Head Start programs, including: deferred maintenance on facilities (such as plumbing repairs, carpeting and fencing); updates to older, inefficient buildings (such as energy efficiencies and weatherization); enhancing Head Start environments (such as playgrounds and classrooms furnishings); upgrading necessary technologies to ensure Head Start stays current; transportation to help children access services (critical for rural programs and programs serving homeless children); converting program models to serve infants and toddlers; making a down payment to help teachers meet the baccalaureate degree requirement and to begin to build an appropriate teacher compensation schedule; and one-time funding for grants to construct new Head Start facilities. Many Head Start facilities, like public schools, are crumbling and are in need replacement.

It is estimated that $4.3 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start in an economic recovery package could provide as many as 120,905 new jobs.  My community needs those jobs in these tough times!

I am deeply concerned that Congress would let the funding of Head Start deteriorate to such an extent that local programs are being forced to deny their services to 14,000 children, which is what is happening right now as a result of Washington's short-sighted approach to the program in recent years.   When a program this important is already so short funded that it cannot serve six out of every 10 children in need of its help, then something is seriously wrong with the priorities of this nation!

Please help turn around the U.S. economy by getting Head Start back on track.

I strongly urge you to put an additional $4.3 billion for Head Start into the economic recovery bill.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue for my community!

Yours,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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