In January 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson declared a “war on poverty” in a state of the union address. His dream for a better America came with the height of prosperity of the postwar years. The nation's GNP was rising, unemployment was falling, and disposable personal income was at an all-time high. As the baby boomer generation aged, more Americans would enter the workforce than ever before and it was imperative that the county develop a plan for its growing nation. As part of the War on Poverty, Johnson created the idea of ​​a “great society” in which ground rules were established for programs that the president was confident would help the nation. Johnson's first-ever reference to the great society came in a speech to students at Ohio University in Athens, where he proudly boasted, "and with your courage, with your compassion and your desire, we will build the great society in which no child will be left without food." , and no young person will be left without education." Johnson dedicated himself to this ideal of a new society and, together with Sargent Shriver, worked to develop a committee of civil rights activists. He also subpoenaed a team of sociologists, psychologists and pediatricians, including pediatrician Dr. Robert Cooke of John Hopkins University. Johnson and his team worked rigorously to develop a program to help American children overcome the obstacle of poverty. The name head start was chosen as a representation of the ever-present gap between middle-class and lower-class children academically and the ideal that this program would give disadvantaged children a much-needed head start on education and especially well-being . The announcement was made in the spring of 1965 that an official head start program had been developed and was about to be provided… half of a document… should serve as a guideline not only for teachers but also for parents . I also believe that parents should be held accountable for their children's successes. As with most government funded programs, to be eligible parents must meet financial criteria to participate in the Head Start, I believe there should also be a required class or number of classes that parents must also participate in if their child it is in the lead to start the program. This serves as reinforcement for the child and helps parents become active in the child's development in and out of the classroom. Children often struggle because they don't have access to consistent support and education. I feel like if parents knew better they can do better, and since these cycles often tend to repeat themselves, I feel like educating parents is also a step towards ending the cycle of poverty.