Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens delivered inspiring remarks, underscoring the program’s impact on generations of children and families. Attendees also viewed video tributes from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, a letter was read from U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, and a recorded speech by U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives celebrating the program was shown. Head Start alumni and parents shared personal stories, honoring the program’s life-changing role in their journeys 

“At the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, we’re proud to be Georgia’s largest Head Start provider and continuing the 60-year legacy of providing critical educational, health, and social services to families across Metro Atlanta and surrounding counties,” said Lauren Koontz, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta. “For the families we work with, Head Start is more than childcare – it’s a bridge to stability, high-quality education, and long-term opportunity.”

Since 1999, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta has served as a trusted provider of Head Start and Early Head Start programs, reaching more than 3,000 children each day across the region at 15 locations. These programs support children from birth to age five through a whole-family approach that includes high-quality early learning, health services, family engagement and wraparound support. 97% of Head Start children from the Y enter kindergarten prepared in language and literacy, placing them on track for long-term academic success.  Research has shown that beyond the first years of school, Head Start leads to better health, stronger academic performance, higher graduation rates, greater lifetime earnings, and fewer interactions with the child welfare and criminal justice systems. 

The Y’s leadership in early childhood education expanded in 2024 when it was awarded the Richmond County Head Start service area, preserving access to vital early learning for 800 children in Augusta, Georgia.

Head Start was established in 1964 when President Lyndon B. Johnson launched the War on Poverty, recognizing education as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Project Head Start was established to provide early childhood education and family support and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta has been a trusted provider since 1999. To learn more about Head Start and how to support early childhood education efforts at the YMCA, visitwww.ymcaatlanta.org. 

For photos from the Head Start celebration, visit this Dropbox.