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.