Head Start ensures every student can nurture a lifelong love of learning

Story: Katie Growden, SCAN State Manager, Tennessee

Tennessee (May 5, 2025)

At the ripe old age of 23, I found myself separated from my husband and trying to make a life for my 2-year-old. Yes, you did the math right – I got married at 20 and became a mom at 21. For me, that meant prioritizing my family over finishing my college degree.  

I wanted to work, but I was struggling to make it make sense. Child care cost 40% of my retail paycheck, and I wouldn’t be able to afford the essentials my family needed to survive. So I broke down crying in front of the director at our local child care center. Instead of turning us away, she offered me a job… and that’s where my early education career began. 

Thanks to programs like the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), I built a professional skillset that I’m so proud of – one that allows me to support my students during their most critical stage of development. After 25+ years in the classroom, what I’ve learned above all else is quality matters. I know what it means for kids to grow up in poverty, and the disparities are shocking.  

I’ve met children who struggle to meet restrictive expectations in overloaded classrooms, while their peers thrive with age-appropriate guidance that helps them become lifelong learners. I’ve watched children melt down over unmet physical needs – which they often don’t have the words to articulate – while those with responsive caregivers can reset after an unscheduled hug, snack or nap.   

I’ve seen kids languish in punitive environments for behaviors they don’t have the support to manage, while critical interventions give others the tools to communicate. As some overwhelmed parents drown in a lack of resources, others get to embrace new strategies to help manage their many responsibilities.   

This gap is what led me to SCAN – because I want to ensure every student can nurture a lifelong love of learning. Head Start does just that, bringing highly qualified educators, well-equipped facilities, mental health care, parenting guidance and nutrition education to families who can’t otherwise access it.  

Losing this incredible program would devastate communities who rely on Head Start to help children excel in school, succeed in life and break the cycle of poverty.  

My message to Congress? Head Start STAYS!