you take the million or so poorest 3- and 4-year-old children and give them a leg up on socialization and education by providing preschool for them; if it works, it saves money in the long run by producing fewer criminals and welfare recipients ... it is now 45 years later. we spend more than $7 billion providing head start to nearly 1 million children each year. and finally there is indisputable evidence about the program's effectiveness, provided by the department of health and human services: head start simply does not work.