Call to Action: Increase Funding for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start.

NCLR

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA

MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START ACTION ALERT: HELP TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START TALKING POINTS The Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program (MSHS) is uniquely designed to meet the needs of our nation’s farmworking families. The children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers are forced to accompany their parents in the fields while they work picking the fruit and vegetables that make their way to our supermarkets and dinner tables. While in the fields, these children are often exposed to dangerous pesticides and other occupational hazards that threaten their health and physical safety. MSHS programs work to effectively keep the children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers out of harm’s way by: ◗

Providing comprehensive services. MSHS programs serve as a critical source of information on accessing health resources for the parents of young migrant children. In addition, because of the nature of farm labor, children need full-day services. MSHS programs accommodate the round-the-clock needs of farmworking families.

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Serving infants and toddlers. MSHS programs were the first Head Start programs to serve infants and toddlers. This is because local child care resources are not available when migrants arrive in a community, particularly for infants and toddlers. Today, twothirds of the children served by MSHS throughout the country are below age three.

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Coordinating services across states. Operating in 38 states, MSHS strives to provide coordinated services to mobile families from state to state. These programs ensure that academic and medical records are transferred with families and children and, when possible, that children are placed in an MSHS program after they leave a state.

MSHS supports academic success for the children of farmworkers. The children of farmworkers are among the most economically-disadvantaged students in the nation’s public schools, face constant interruption in their schooling due to issues of mobility, and have an increased likelihood of being identified as an English language learner. In fact, the high school dropout rate for migrant students has been estimated to range between 45% and 65%. MSHS prepares the children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers to be successful in school by: ◗

Providing high-quality academic services. Research has shown that children benefit from an early education, particularly poor children. MSHS meets the same high academic standards required by regular Head Start programs.

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Exposing young children to the English language. MSHS utilizes children’s home language while also recognizing the importance of these children arriving at Kindergarten with English language skills. Children served by MSHS leave the programs with literacy skills in both English and Spanish.

N C L R

1111 19th Street, N.W., Suite 1000 ● Washington, DC 20036 ● Phone: (202) 785-1670 Fax: (202) 776-1792 ● www.nclr.org National Council of La Raza

MSHS reaches too few children. According to a study conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in September 2001, The Descriptive Study of Seasonal Farmworker Families, only 31,400 out of 161,400 (19%) eligible children and families are served through existing MSHS programs. While regional programs are able to serve approximately 60% of their eligible child population, MSHS programs can only serve 19%. The lack of adequate funding for MSHS can be addressed by: ◗

Urging the President and Congress to increase funding for MSHS. An additional $69 million for MSHS program expansion would allow for approximately 10,000 farmworker children to exit the fields and enter the classroom.

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Urging the Secretary of HHS to increase MSHS funding. During the 1998 Head Start reauthorization, language in the Act instructed the Secretary to increase funding for MSHS if there was a documented need. Despite the findings in the report, over the last eight years MSHS has consistently received less than 4% of the annual Head Start budget.

TAKE ACTION NOW Call, write, or schedule a visit with your Member of Congress. You can get your Member’s contact information by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or by going online at www.senate.gov or www.house.gov KEY POINTS ◗ Include personal stories and information relevant to your state. Policy-makers are most interested to hear about the unique experiences and contributions of farmworkers in your state and how these programs address important needs in your local community. ◗

The children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers need services. Tell your Member that MSHS serves only 19% of its eligible child population.

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Currently, the Secretary of HHS has the authority to increase funding for MSHS programs. Tell your Member that the Secretary has failed to provide funds for MSHS expansion.

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Provide, at minimum, $69 million dollars for MSHS program expansion. Tell your Member to support a modest 1% increase in funding for MSHS. This would permit approximately 10,000 children to exit the fields and enter classrooms.

STAY INFORMED Join NCLR’s Action Center. Visit NCLR’s Action Center (www.nclr.org) to sign up for timely emails on Head Start reauthorization and updates on other important Latino priorities.

For more information on MSHS, and Spanish-language materials, visit the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association website at http://www.nmshsa.org/