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> Dallas' need for Head Start services
According to data collected by the Dallas-based nonprofit organization, the Foundation for Community Empowerment, in 2010 there will be 29,328 children under the age of five living in poverty in Dallas County. Head Start of Greater Dallas currently serves 4,259 of these children.

Children and families living in poverty

Current poverty numbers show approximately 36,000 children under the age of 5 living in poverty in Dallas County—and more and more parents are working, leaving no one at home to take care of young children.

Access to low- or no-cost childcare
From 2000-2005, the child population increased by 9 percent while at the same time the number of childcare slots dropped 14 percent and the rate of eligible children in subsidized care decreased by 25 percent.

Quality of care

There are approximately 1,000 licensed childcare centers in Dallas County, however, only 38 non-Head Start centers meet the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation criteria—the "gold standard" of quality in early learning programs. Of these 38, only 8 operate in high-poverty neighborhoods.

Educational performance
Standardized tests administered to fourth graders in Dallas County schools indicate that 20-50 percent of children fail to achieve minimal competency in reading and math. Many children entering the Head Start of Greater Dallas program are one to two years behind the normal developmental curve. More in Manhattan Study

Health
Low income families do not have access to free or low-cost health care in their communities and must travel long distances to access this care. There is also a shortage of doctors willing to take Medicaid patients because the reimbursement rate is too low. Studies show that uninsured children visit a doctor only half as often as insured children and are twice as likely to get health care in an emergency room.

Teen pregnancy

In Dallas, the highest number of teen births occurs in communities where there are large numbers of Head Start eligible families, such as Pleasant Grove, Oak Cliff, south Dallas and southeast Dallas. Teenage mothers tend to not seek proper prenatal care and therefore are at greater risk for various complications. With fewer mothers able to afford prenatal care, there is likely to be an increase in the infant mortality rate throughout the state.