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SEIU Helps Improve Head Start

By joining together with SEIU, the Service Employees International Union, thousands of Head Start workers across the United States are improving Head Start for our kids and making the agencies better places to work.

SEIU is helping to improve Head Start by:

• Providing Stable Careers for Workers
  Head Start workers who are represented by SEIU earn up to $10,000 more per year than non-union workers do, allowing agencies to recruit and retain quality Head Start workers. Higher wages, expanded training, improved benefits, and a voice at work translate into lower turnover rates.
• Giving Workers A Voice to Improve Their Programs
  Through SEIU, Head Start workers and managers work together to solve staffing and workload issues.
• Ensuring Funding Accountability
  SEIU works to make sure that the money allocated for Head Start is used for the children and to improve the program.

Innovative Programs Improve Education

Together with education workers, advocates, community members, and parents, SEIU is promoting innovative approaches to improving early childhood education across the country.  As a result of our early childhood education campaigns:

• Washington State earmarked $4 million to implement a pilot wage and career ladder program for early education teachers.  Early childhood education is improved by reducing turnover through the implementation of a career ladder that links wage increases to training, certification, and experience.
• SEIU Local 99 in Los Angeles, California worked with the school district to institute a homework assistance program to help kids with their studies.  Using a computer network, teachers are able to offer assistance with assignments.
• California children have expanded access to pre-kindergarten programs.
• SEIU helped to win $1.3 billion dollars in new Head Start funding since 2000.

Advocates for Our Children and Our Families

SEIU’s commitment to quality early education extends to the halls of Congress and statehouses across the country.  We work to educate legislators on the benefits and proven results of early childhood education, including Head Start.  And we work with public officials to ensure full funding.

(Sources:  The Children’s Defense Fund, the National Head Start Association, and Head Start Information Reports (published May 15, 2001)