Statement of purposes

The purposes of this title are— (1) to provide all young children with a fair and full opportunity to reach their full potential, by establishing and expanding programs, to create universal, comprehensive child care and early learning programs that are available to all young children; (2) to ensure that families can access affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs regardless of circumstance; (3) to promote the school readiness of all young children by enhancing their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development— (A) in a learning environment that supports children's growth in language, literacy, mathematics, science, cognitive abilities, social and emotional functioning, creative arts, physical skills, and approaches to learning; and (B) through the provision to children and their families of health, educational, nutritional, social, and other services that are determined, based on family needs assessments, to be necessary; (4) to recognize and build upon the experience and success gained through the Head Start program, the military child care program, and similar efforts; (5) to provide that decisions on the nature of such child care and early learning programs be made at the community level with the full involvement of parents, family members, and other individuals and organizations in the community; and (6) to establish the legislative framework for child care and early learning services.