[186] During 1978, he met with Kennedy over a compromise healthcare law that proved unsuccessful.[187] He later said Kennedy's disagreements thwarted his plan to provide a comprehensive American health care system.[188]

Education
Early into his term, Carter collaborated with Congress to fulfill his campaign promise to create a cabinet level education department. In an address from the White House on February 28, 1978, Carter argued "Education is far too important a matter to be scattered piecemeal among various government departments and agencies, which are often busy with sometimes dominant concerns."[189] On February 8, 1979, the Carter administration released an outline of its plan to establish an education department and asserted enough support for the enactment to occur by June.[190] On October 17, the same year, Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act into law,[191] establishing the United States Department of Education.[192]
Carter expanded the Head Start program with the addition of 43,000 children and families,[193] while the percentage of nondefense dollars spent on education was doubled.[194] Carter was complimentary of the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson and the 89th United States Congress for having initiated Head Start.