The Case for Black College Sponsorship of Head Start Programs

Abstract

Many black communities have been seriously affected (i.e., economically, educationally) as a consequence of attempts to rechannel funds previously allocated to social service programs. It is a matter of public record that, in some cases, the local administrative handling, by community action programs (CAP), of these federal funds was characterized by improper management, a lack of accountability to the community supposedly being serviced, and an ineffective mechanism for service delivery. In other instances, however, community action agencies sponsoring federally-funded social programs (i.e., CAP Head Start programs) did provide needed and accountable programs. The effort to discontinue the ineffective programs while improving the operation of those that showed above average potential and/or had proven their worth has led to various programs and projects being transferred to new and different governing agencies. The changes in governing agencies has caused at least one major problem for those Head Start programs that wished to remain operative. This is the problem of identifying and screening a reputable sponsoring agency. To improve, supposedly, the administrability of Head Start programs, an executive order has placed the operation of this program under the governance of the office of Child Development (OCD). One major implication of this change is that even though Head Start is officially the responsibility of OCD, if grass roots people are to take advantage of Head Start services, a local and highly reputable agency must assume the responsibility for sponsorship of the program. In effect, communities that had Head Start programs sponsored by CAP agencies must now secure a different sponsor. It is in this vein that black colleges could render