News Release

Members Nominated to Advisory Committee on Re-Designation of Head Start Grantees

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced the nominations of eight individuals to his Advisory Committee on Re-Designation of Head Start Grantees. The committee was created in accordance with the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 to develop a transparent and reliable system for evaluating the renewal of agencies’ designation as Head Start providers.

“Head Start programs play an important role in the communities they serve,” Secretary Leavitt said. “This committee will help ensure Head Start programs are meeting requirements, performance standards and the needs of the children and families they serve.”

In its first meeting on March 12, 2008, the advisory committee will discuss the grantee application process, risk management, classroom quality, program monitoring, the Program Information Report and other data sources and plans for future work.

“We should know what is working well and what may need improvement in Head Start’s current process,” said HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Daniel Schneider. “By putting everything on the table, the advisory committee will be in a great place to evaluate how best to serve the children and families who count on us to help them better their lives.”

The following individuals are nominated to the Advisory Committee on Re-Designation of Head Start Grantees:

• Dr. Jerlean Daniels, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Washington, D.C.: Dr. Daniels is deputy executive director of the NAEYC, an organization of early care and education professionals committed to enhancing the quality of programs for young children. She is nominated as an expert in accreditation of early childhood programs.

• Dr. Ron Haskins, Brookings Institute, Washington, D.C.: Dr. Haskins is a senior fellow and co-director of the Center on Children and Families at the Brookings Institution and a senior consultant at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. He is nominated as a research expert on early childhood development.

• Mr. Craig Stewart, Apex Foundation, Seattle, Wash.: Mr. Stewart is president and a trustee of the Apex Foundation, a philanthropic fund that helps children and families reach their highest potential. He recently co-authored “Inside the Nonprofit Boardroom.” He is nominated as an expert in governance and finance of nonprofit organizations.

• Dr. Mark Innocenti, Utah State, Utah: Dr. Innocenti is associate director of the Early Intervention Research Institute. He is the president for the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. He is nominated as an expert in delivery of services to children with special needs and their families.

• Dr. John Fantuzzo, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Penn.: Dr. Fantuzzo is a professor of education at the University of Pennsylvania. He has conducted studies on issues affecting young children with Head Start for over 20 years.  His most recent work focused on strategies to enhance school readiness of low-income, urban preschoolers. Dr. Fantuzzo is nominated as an expert in assessment and evaluation of programs for young children.

• Mrs. Patricia Brown, Office of Head Start (OHS), Washington, D.C.: Mrs. Brown is the acting director of OHS at the Administration for Children and Families. She has over 33 years experience at the state and federal levels working on issues affecting the well-being of children and families. She is nominated as an Office of Head Start representative.

• Dr. Blanca Enriquez, Region Nineteen Education Service Center, El Paso, Texas: Dr. Enriquez has been associate executive director of the Education Service Center Head Start program since 1991. She is nominated as an executive director of a Head Start agency.

• Dr. Craig Ramey, Center for Health and Education, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.: Dr. Ramey is the director of the Center for Health and Education. He specializes in the study of factors affecting young children's development of intelligence, social competence and academic achievement. He is nominated for the position of non-voting chairman. 

For more information about the Office of Head Start, visit: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/.

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Last revised: December 31, 2008