Impact of Head Start on Parents

This paper examined 39 longitudinal studies of Head Start children and families, of which 17 reported parent outcomes. Convergent patterns of parent outcomes as well as the research methods used to investigate those outcomes, were analyzed. Head
Start parents in these studies consistently showed improved abilities to promote their children's educational success. The review strongly suggests that Head Start systematically helps parents achieve positive outcomes and concludes that more research is needed to fully understand the breadth and depth of Head Start's impact on parents.