To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: Proclaim October 2025 as Head Start Awareness Month
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT a resolution declaring October 2025 as Head Start Awareness Month on its 60th Anniversary.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact from this action.
BACKGROUND:
October is Head Start Awareness Month and this year also marks Head Start’s 60th anniversary.
Launched in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Head Start was built on the simple yet powerful belief that every child, no matter their background, deserves the opportunity to succeed.
Since then, Head Start has impacted the life circumstances of more than 40 million children and families nationally through improving health, preparation for kindergarten, and the likelihood of graduating high school and going on to post-secondary education.
Across the country, Head Start programs and supporters have been celebrating the 60th anniversary throughout 2025. In Contra Costa County, we are celebrating it along with Head Start Awareness Month in October.
For Contra Costa County, the Employment and Human Services Department’s Community Services Bureau is the Head Start grantee. Originally receiving a Head Start grant in 1965, we opened our first centers in 1966 and have been serving children ever since.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
No recognition of Head Start Awareness Month.
CHILDREN’S IMPACT STATEMENT:
This resolution supports all five of Contra Costa County's community outcomes: (1)"Children Ready for and Succeeding in School"; (2) "Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood"; (3) "Families that are Economically Self-Sufficient"; (4) "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing"; and (5) "Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families".
The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County, California
body
IN THE MATTER OF proclaiming October 2025 as Head Start Awareness Month in Contra Costa County on its 60th anniversary:
WHEREAS, Head Start is rooted in the belief that every child should have the opportunity to succeed in life, and addresses factors inside and outside the classroom that may create barriers; and
WHEREAS, Head Start has operated for 60 years in all 50 states annually reaching more than 750,000 children from birth to age five, including infants, toddlers, and expectant parents whose families face economic and social hardships; and
WHEREAS, in Contra Costa County, the Employment and Human Services Department’s Community Services Bureau originally received a Head Start grant in 1965, and opened its first centers in 1966, serving children and families continuously ever since; and
WHEREAS, the Head Start model uses a comprehensive, community-driven approach by focusing on education; medical, dental, vision, nutrition, and additional health services; parent involvement and support; and early intervention; and
WHEREAS, in Fiscal Year 2024-25, Contra Costa County’s Head Start program served 1,706 children and expectant parents through its directly operated and partner early childhood education centers; and
WHEREAS, in Fiscal Year 2024-25, Contra Costa County’s Head Start program supported 796 families of enrolled children through education about preventative medical and oral health, supported 200 families with financial services, educated 169 families about nutrition, and educated 114 families about post-partum care; and
WHEREAS, in Fiscal Year 2024-25, the pre-kindergarten children enrolled in Contra Costa County’s Head Start program exceeded five development goals linked to their kindergarten readiness levels with 95% meeting the physical development and health goal, 92% meeting the social and emotional development goal, 88% meeting the language and literacy development goal, 84% meeting the approaches to learning self-regulation goal, and 84% meeting the cognition including math and science goal; and
WHEREAS, more than 40 million Americans who have attended Head Start credit the program with setting them on the path to success in their future education and life, exemplifying the transformative power of the Head Start model; and
WHEREAS, for 60 years, Head Start has had bipartisan support, affirming its role as the nation’s flagship early learning program and as a cornerstone of American health and economic mobility.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors hereby recognizes October 2025 as Head Start Awareness Month in Contra Costa County in recognition of its remarkable contributions to children, families, and communities for 60 years, and its ongoing commitment to brightening the future of our country.