Head Start Program: A Case Study

To create a cost model for this program one must look at the historic costs of education. In 1960 President Lyndon Johnson started the War on Poverty program. Instituting the Head Start program was a part of this initiative (Siegel, Welsh, & Senna, 2006). Funding for this program exceeds seven billion dollars today. This cost is just a minimal fraction of the total education costs of the country (Siegel, 2007). The cost of improvements to the education system needed to reduce crime would likely be measured in the billions of dollars, if not hundreds of billions. However, some of the costs could be offset by other budgets that would benefit from the improved education system. It has been shown that children who receive better early education have better health, immunization rates, nutrition, and better emotional characteristics (Siegel, Welsh, & Sienna, 2006). The lowered cost of health care could be used to further the educational funding. Many programs of this type fail because of a lack of funding. The programs such as MOBY, short for Mobilization for Youth, did not show enough benefit to offset their cost (Siegel, Welsh, & Sienna, 2006). This program would have the bonus of improving not only crime rates but also the economy and the health costs of Americans. Increasing education could pay itself off relatively quickly.
Possible Outcomes
Although the cost of implementing more educational programs is in the billions, health care costs can decrease. This crime stopping method will not show financial gain until 10 years after its implication. Documented research from within the prison system show prisoners’ who receive education decreases his or her chances of reoffending. This paper provided and economical way to reduce crime over time, the cost involved, some possible outcomes, and research that demonstrates the program’s