“At Head Start, we don’t just enroll a child; we embrace a family.”

— Lizbeth White, Director of Head Start, May 5, 2026

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking with the Northern California cluster of Head Start grantees — programs stretching from north of Sacramento to the Oregon and Nevada borders. Staff gathered at the Glenn County Office of Education with a shared purpose: to reflect on the enduring legacy of Head Start and reconnect with the deeper WHY behind this work.

What is your why? 

Simon Sinek challenged the world with that very question more than 16 years ago in Start with Why, later expanding the idea in Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team. Yet for those of us in Head Start, this question is not theoretical. It lives in every classroom, every family partnership, every home visit, and every moment we choose to show up for children and families who need hope, opportunity, and belonging.

During our time together, we explored three defining chapters of the Head Start story. We reflected on our origin — a bold national commitment to ensure children and families living in poverty would have access to opportunity and dignity. We examined the years when research reminded us that not all efforts are equal, and that high-quality Head Start changes lives in measurable, lasting ways. And we confronted the realities of today: challenges to funding, threats to comprehensive services, and increasing pressure on local decision-making.

But even in the face of uncertainty, one truth remained clear: the heart of Head Start has never been a program. It has always been people.

In our discussions, I asked participants three simple but powerful questions:

• How are you supporting this legacy?
• What opportunity can you act on today?
• How is your professional wellness?

These questions were meant to invite reflection, renewal, and recommitment. Stress and uncertainty can narrow our vision, causing us to focus only on surviving the day in front of us. But leadership calls us to look beyond the immediate moment. Kouzes and Posner describe vision as “an ideal and unique image of the future for the common good.” Leaders help others see that future — and believe it is possible.

What inspired me most was hearing staff members share their visions for the coming program year: deeper family engagement, stronger classrooms, healthier teams, and renewed compassion for the communities they serve. Their words reminded me that Head Start’s greatest strength has always been its people — individuals who continue to choose service, even when the work is hard.

As we come up to Head Start’s 61st anniversary we are reminded that our mission underscores the importance of policy debates, funding cycles, and organizational charts. And it speaks to something deeply human — our desire to care for one another, to create belonging, and to lift others up.

Director White’s words captured the spirit of the day perfectly: “We embrace a family.”

After all, who would ever turn down a hug?

In Partnership,

Ed Condon

Executive Director