Last week’s abrupt closure of the Region IX Office of Head Start — responsible for serving more than 100,000 children across California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands — has sent shock waves through early education circles. For those of us on the ground in San Mateo County, this is not just a bureaucratic reshuffling. It’s a serious disruption to a system that supports some of our most vulnerable children.
Here in San Mateo County, we’re proud of programs like Izzi Early Education, which have been national models for high-quality early learning. Izzi serves approximately 750 children and their families each year, with locations in South San Francisco, Daly City, Half Moon Bay, Redwood City, San Mateo, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park — providing essential early education across a wide and diverse region. These programs don’t operate in a vacuum — they rely on the guidance, oversight and technical assistance of regional Head Start offices to meet federal standards and provide safe, developmentally rich environments for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
The closure of Region IX not only strips away this critical layer of support but also threatens to delay or derail important work happening right now — like upgrading facilities, expanding access in high-need areas, and navigating complex licensing requirements. For communities already struggling with a lack of affordable, high-quality child care, this is an unnecessary blow.
I recently had the privilege of visiting Izzi’s downtown Redwood City location, where I witnessed firsthand the joy, curiosity and dedication radiating from both children and teachers. It was a powerful reminder of why these programs matter — and what we risk losing without the infrastructure to support them. Head Start programs like Izzi’s also provide critical health and nutrition services — serving breakfast, lunch and snacks that together make up two-thirds of a young child’s daily meals. These meals support healthy development and are a key reason why families trust and depend on these programs every day. This aligns with the growing national focus on early childhood nutrition.
The impact also extends beyond children and families — it reaches into our broader economy. Access to reliable, affordable early care and education is a key driver of women’s participation in the workforce. Without it, parents — especially mothers — are forced to reduce work hours, leave jobs or decline opportunities for advancement. When early learning systems falter, it’s not just families that feel the strain — it’s our businesses, our public systems and our long-term economic growth.
The return on investment in early childhood education is staggering. Research shows every dollar invested can yield up to $13 in long-term benefits — from improved educational outcomes and higher earnings to reduced social service costs and lower incarceration rates. It’s one of the smartest, most evidence-based investments we can make as a society.
As a parent, I think about the broader impact. Whether your child attends Head Start or not —or even if you don’t have children — these are the children who will grow up alongside mine, learning in the same classrooms and shaping the future of our community together.
We cannot provide a strong foundation for these children without high-quality, safe early learning facilities — and programs can’t do this work without consistent support and leadership. I know we have champions for early education here in San Mateo County, and I’m grateful for their continued support. But now is the time for their voices — and actions — to rise even louder. We need our local, state and federal leaders to push for transparency, stability and restoration of support for Head Start programs. Let’s set the example for the rest of the country and reaffirm our commitment to children and families.
I encourage readers to contact their elected officials to urge them to protect and restore support for Head Start and the early learning infrastructure our families rely on.
We cannot afford to let this moment pass without action. Let’s ensure that every child in San Mateo County — regardless of background — has access to high-quality, safe early learning environments that prepare them for success and strengthen the foundation of our entire community.
Christine Padilla is the director of Build Up San Mateo County, a parent, advocate for women’s rights, and longtime champion for children and families.
(2) comments
Head Start and early childhood education programs have not been conclusively shown to yield long term benefits. While some studies show some modest positive outcomes from those who attended Head Start programs, others show any benefits tend to fade by the first grade.
I wish the writer had cited the study that backs up her claim that every dollar spent on preschool programs yields $13 in returns. My guess is this is based on the longitudinal Perry Preschool Project, a very small study that followed disadvantaged inner city kids assigned to a preschool group, along with a control group, and found that those in the preschool group did have higher academic success, employment and lower incarceration rates. What those who cite this study as support for Head Start programs fail to mention however, is that this wasn't just sending kids to preschool, the program also included a strong parental education component- including monthly home visits, providing books to families, education about early childhood development, etc. These results have never been replicated in studies of Head Start programs.
Christine - the announcement of closing this program escaped my attention. Can you elaborate on the reasons for it discontinuance and the funding source? Thank you.
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