"[1] Key factors in determining eligibility are In 1996, the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) launched a large-scale evaluation of Early Head Start (EHS) by randomly assigning qualifying families at 17 sites nationally to participate and looking at their social, psychological, developmental and academic outcomes compared to a matched control group.
[11] Additionally, recent findings from the 5th grade time point reveal that children enrolled in EHS develop more complex reasoning skills and exhibit fewer behavior problems.
[12] The results as related to children's language development are mixed, such that some broad reports discuss minimal to no impact[11] and other individual academic manuscripts detail specific, complex supportive findings.
[11] The formatting of the EHS program mattered, as well, as children who were enrolled in a "mixed approach to service delivery" (home visiting and classroom education) received the greatest benefits.
As Early Head Start is a "two-generation" program,[17] the goal is to promote healthy parental development as well as a stimulating home environment through enrollment in EHS.