From just $500,000 to more than $50 million, more than a dozen states are committing new funding resources to enable Head Start to reach more at-risk children and their families with health, nutrition, education and family support services. Read on to learn more!

A new policy brief, More Important than Ever: State Investments in Head Start and Early Head Start to Support At-Risk Children and Families, describes the innovative models and best practices 14 states are currently using to apply over $400 million each budget cycle to expand Head Start's impact in strengthening families, promoting school readiness and improving child health.

More Important Than Ever is based on information gathered directly from state government partners and state Head Start associations. It was created through a partnership between the National Head Start Association (NHSA) and Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Read the key takeaways of More Important Than Ever in a new blog post, We Must Address the Surge in Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Want to make a difference in your community? Check out our Early Care and Education Toolkit!