Rep. Summer Lee Convenes Western Pennsylvania Head Start Roundtable, Highlights Push to Expand Early Childhood Education Nationwide
PITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 10, 2026 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) visited the Allegheny Intermediate Unit at The Waterfront in Homestead for a tour of a local Head Start classroom and a roundtable discussion with educators, parents, providers, and early childhood advocates to speak to the importance of Head Start and underscore the need to expand access to high-quality early childhood education for working families. During the event, Rep. Lee also highlighted her recently introduced Head Start for America’s Children Act, sweeping legislation to dramatically expand the program nationwide, raise wages for educators, and strengthen support services for families.
“Every child deserves not just a chance to survive, but a real chance to thrive,” said Rep. Lee. “Head Start has opened doors for generations of children, giving them a strong start in the classroom and an even stronger foundation in life. This program looks like a child walking into a classroom and being seen, a parent going to work knowing their child is safe, and an educator having the support to pour love, skill, and care into our communities every single day. In the richest country in the world, early childhood education cannot be a luxury for a lucky few. It must be treated like the public good it is. That is why I am fighting to expand and fully fund Head Start, so every child and every family has the support they need to live with dignity, stability, and real opportunity.”
The roundtable brought together local stakeholders representing early childhood education programs, public schools, advocacy organizations, and families directly impacted by Head Start. Participants shared firsthand stories about the vital role the program plays in preparing children for school, connecting families to critical supports, and sustaining communities across the region.
“For 60 years, Head Start has served as a cornerstone program within the early childhood system, providing the essential education, care, and resources that families and young children need to thrive. Today’s conversation is incredibly timely as we prepare for the Week of the Young Child and as we celebrate the Month of the Young Child. It is vital that we honor the educators who create high-quality early learning experiences and take steps toward investing in the critical work they do for our youngest children. We applaud Congresswoman Lee for her leadership with the Head Start for America’s Children Act, which takes the necessary step of prioritizing competitive compensation for our early childhood professionals,” said Emily Neff, Director of Public Policy, Trying Together
"We are always encouraged when legislators want to invest in our young people," said Dr. Bob Scherrer, Executive Director, Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
For 60 years, Head Start programs have provided high-quality early education and comprehensive services to more than 40 million children and families nationwide. Today, nearly 800,000 children receive early education, health and dental care, and nutritious meals through the program, while families also gain access to referrals for job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support. Rep. Lee’s Head Start for America’s Children Act, introduced alongside Rep. Rashida Tlaib as the House companion to legislation led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, would expand the program to serve more than 11 million eligible young children nationwide.
The legislation would fully fund Head Start for eligible children, align program hours with working families’ schedules, raise Head Start educator pay to at least $60,000 per year, strengthen recruitment and retention, expand partnerships with child care providers and college campuses, improve mental health services, and invest in facility upgrades including the removal of lead contamination in paint and water.
In Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, Head Start remains a critical lifeline for families, with 2,563 total slots supported by $37.1 million in combined federal and state funding. That includes 2,172 federally funded Head Start slots and 391 state-funded slots, helping ensure that thousands of children in PA-12 can access early education, care, and family support services that set them up for the future.
To view photos from the event, please click HERE.
Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.7 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 4,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.