Head Start Act

Head Start Act (1965)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 9831 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
Created during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, the Head Start Act established the Head Start program to promote school readiness for children from low-income families through early education, nutrition, health, and parental involvement.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before this, federal involvement in early childhood education was minimal. Head Start represented a new model of comprehensive family services, not just classroom instruction.

Acts

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA, 1974)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 5101 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
CAPTA was enacted to create a federal framework for preventing, identifying, and responding to child abuse and neglect, and to support state child protective services with federal funding.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before CAPTA, child abuse was addressed only under scattered state laws, with inconsistent definitions and protections. CAPTA established minimum federal standards and tied compliance to funding.

Acts

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (1990, amended 2004)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
Congress enacted IDEA to ensure children with disabilities have the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) tailored to their needs, with access to special education and related services.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
IDEA replaced the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Court rulings like PARC v. Pennsylvania (1971) and Mills v. Board of Education (1972) had already established constitutional rights to equal educational opportunities for children with disabilities.

Acts

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP, 1997)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 1397aa et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
CHIP was created to expand health insurance coverage for children in families with incomes too high for Medicaid eligibility but too low to afford private insurance.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Medicaid (1965) covered many low-income families, but left gaps for near-poor children. CHIP filled this gap as a joint federal–state program.

Acts

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA, 1998)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (15 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6506)

2) Why It Was Done
With the rise of the internet in the 1990s, Congress passed COPPA to protect children’s personal information online. It restricts websites and online services from collecting data from children under 13 without parental consent.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before COPPA, no federal law specifically regulated the collection of children’s personal information online. COPPA built on consumer protection principles and the right to privacy, placing obligations on businesses rather than children or parents.