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Compensatory education refers to programs designed to make up for experiences, particularly cultural ones, that disadvantaged children may have missed. These educational initiatives emerged in the United States in the mid-1960s, with federal funding aimed at addressing the lack of early cognitive growth opportunities for children from disadvantaged families.12

Key programs like Head Start, established by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, were developed to prepare these children for success in public schools. These comprehensive programs included medical, dental, social services, nutritional, and psychological care, alongside intensive instruction and efforts to improve home environments.2

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