The Trump Administration is preparing to deregulate Head Start, the federal program that has provided early education and care for millions of children since 1965.
If this proposal is enacted, Head Start programs would only have to adhere to state rules.
In a Notice of Public Rulemaking (NPRM), the Administration says deregulation will “reduce costs and burden for Head Start programs, as well as clarify requirements.”
Advocates, however, are sounding the alarm, warning that deregulation could diminish Head Start.
To learn more, join us on Wednesday, August 19 on The 9:30 Call. Our guest will be Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director, Massachusetts Head Start Association. She will share more details about the proposal to dismantle Head Start Program Performance Standards.
Our daily 9:30 Call continues to build community and serve as a unique venue for information sharing, knowledge building, networking, policy and political updates, and moral support for the field. The calls have provided space for us all to address and discuss challenges and share our collective successes. Sign up here to get the Zoom link.
In a press release, the Massachusetts Head Start Association says deregulation “would weaken the proven program” and make it “harder for local programs to provide the high-quality services children and families deserve.”
Specifically, The New York Times reports, “The proposed changes would remove most of Head Start’s 133 pages of requirements for math and literacy curriculums, class sizes, medical screenings, home visits and even a requirement that children brush their teeth after meals, according to three people with knowledge of the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations.”
“Among the most significant of the proposed new changes expected to be released next week is the removal of federal limits on Head Start class sizes,” the Times adds. “Instead, they will now align with a patchwork of state standards.
“For example, under current Head Start rules, one teacher is required to supervise four 2-year-olds. But in Idaho, one teacher can supervise nine 2-year-olds. In Ohio, the rule is one teacher per eight 2-year-olds.”
The Children’s Equity Project has released a report that explores the policy differences “between state child care center-based licensing standards and the Head Start Program Performance Standards.”
One key difference, the report explains, is that state licensing standards “were designed primarily to establish baseline health and safety protections for children, helping prevent the spread of disease, serious illness, and injuries.”
Head Start’s standards, on the other hand, set a high bar. They “are robust, addressing many factors that children need to grow, learn, and develop.” This includes “requirements across education, parent partnerships, health, nutrition, safety, services for children with disabilities, fiscal operations and governance” as well as setting expectations for “children’s healthy cognitive, social-emotional, and overall development and family wellbeing.”
Advocates can take action to protect Head Start’s decades of progress by letting federal officials know how important it is to maintain the program’s national standards.
The First Five Years Fund says, “The proposed rule is open for a 60-day public comment period, providing stakeholders the opportunity to review the proposal and submit feedback.” This comment period will end on October 6, 2026. This page from the Federal Register explains how to submit comments.
It’s also useful to remind policymakers that Head Start has strong bipartisan support.
There are also esources in the linktree of the national nonprofit organization Start Early. And there’s more information about Start Early’s initiative, Together for Head Start, a “broad coalition of national and regional allies.”
And be sure to sign up for updates from the Massachusetts Head Start Association, follow them on Facebook and LinkedIn, and join us for The 9:30 Call on Wednesday, August 19th.
It’s vital to help policymakers understand the importance of Head Start and its standards so that children can benefit for decades to come.