*This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 1994. 11.15 : Support to Families with Infants & Toddlers Contact: Michael Kharfen (202) 401-9215 Tuesday, Nov. 15, 1994 SHALALA CALLS FOR A NEW ERA OF SUPPORT TO FAMILIES WITH INFANTS AND TODDLERS HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala pledged to use the guidelines presented to her by an advisory committee today to help establish "Early Head Start," a new program that will provide high quality, comprehensive and individualized support and services to families with very young children. In accepting the report from the 40-member Advisory Committee on Services to Families with Infants and Toddlers, Secretary Shalala said, "By putting resources into a constellation of supports and services that will promote healthy child and family development, we can help to ensure our most vulnerable children an Early Head Start on life success. "Early Head Start will back these supports with a federal commitment to training, performance standards and monitoring for high quality, research, evaluation and services coordination." Secretary Shalala congratulated members of the committee for "starting a new era of support to very young children and their families." The advisory committee, a distinguished panel of academics and practitioners, recommended that each new Early Head Start program should be flexible, family centered and community-based. The new program, designed to serve children aged 0-3 with education and child development services similar to those used in the successful Head Start program for children 4-6, was established in legislation signed by President Clinton on May 18. Building on the lessons of decades of scientific research and experience, each program would be guided by certain principles, including: o high quality services -- both directly and through referral; o prevention and promotion -- promoting the health and well- being of infants and toddlers to detect and prevent problems at their earliest stages; o supporting positive relationships and continuity by recognizing each parent--mother and father--as his or her child's first and primary source of love, nurturance and guidance; o parent involvement; o participation by young children with disabilities and their families in all program services and understanding of, respect for, and responsiveness to children's home cultures and languages; o ensuring the smooth transition of children and their families into Head Start or other preschool programs; o programs will work with an integrated community system of service providers, such as religious institutions, schools and civic groups. Mary Jo Bane, HHS assistant secretary for children and families, said, "We are delighted to be moving so fast to implement the far-sighted vision of the president and Congress on an Early Head Start for very young children." Olivia Golden, commissioner of HHS' Administration for Children, Youth and Families, and chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers, said, "We have designed an Early Head Start program that will be suited to last well into the next century -- always reshaping itself to provide high quality, responsive, and respectful services to America's youngest children and their families." For a copy of the report by the Advisory Committee on Services For Families with Infants and Toddlers, please write to: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children, Youth and Families P.O. Box 1182 Washington, D.C. 20013 ###