WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is gearing up to initiate a sweeping reform of the Head Start program, aimed at drastically cutting back its extensive quality standards. Insiders privy to the discussions reveal this move could significantly alter the foundational elements of the program that has provided early education opportunities for low-income children for years.
Originally launched in the 1960s as a pivotal tool in combating poverty, Head Start is regarded as a premier early learning initiative. The program’s comprehensive regulations, spanning over 100 pages, meticulously cover aspects such as teacher-to-student ratios, health screenings for children, and family involvement.
However, the current administration plans to condense these exhaustive guidelines into a mere dozen pages, delegating the finer details to state and local jurisdictions, according to sources familiar with the change. These individuals, speaking under the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information and fear of retaliation, indicate that the overhaul reflects a notable paradigm shift.
In a recent post on X, the Department of Health and Human Services, which manages the Head Start program, announced that new rules are anticipated to be unveiled this week. Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the department, affirmed in an email on Monday that the administration is dedicated to enhancing Head Start. The aim is to preserve federal investments while advocating reforms to boost access, offer local flexibility, slash unnecessary administrative tasks, and ensure effective service delivery to families in need.
With operations in all 50 states, Head Start has traditionally garnered strong bipartisan endorsement. Nevertheless, a faction of prominent conservatives has been pushing for its dismantlement, arguing that the federal government should pivot away from involvement in education across all tiers. The proposed deregulatory measures could represent a victory for this perspective, aligning with the Trump administration’s broader agenda to eliminate regulations it deems burdensome or excessive.
Head Start is designed to target poverty, experts say
Head Start serves more than half a million low-income babies, toddlers and preschoolers nationwide. For families that qualify, it offers free preschool and screenings to identify developmental delays. It also offers supports for families.
If the changes take effect, they could make Head Start unrecognizable, said Khari Garvin, who ran the Office of Head Start under President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
“We’d have the carcass of Head Start,” Garvin said. “You might have a program that’s called Head Start, but in substance it will not be.”
The proposed rules were originally reported in The Bulwark.
Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, said the organization has yet to see the proposed rules. But he said the potential for a massive overhaul has left the organization on edge.
“We’re very anxious,” Sheridan said. “When it does come out … we’ll be ready to fight back where we need to fight back.”
Still, he emphasized that Head Start centers might not be impacted for months, if the rules get on the books at all. Once the proposal is made public, federal law requires the administration to give at least a month for the public to weigh in on it. Then, once finalized, it may take more time for the rules to take effect. There’s also the potential for a lawsuit to halt implementation.
Current rules cover dental screenings and staff-to-student ratios
Head Start was created as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and targets the myriad challenges that low-income households face. It serves children and adults alike, coaching parents on reaching their goals, connecting them with services and even employing them.
Head Start operators, which include school districts and nonprofit organizations, are required to provide medical, dental and vision screenings for children and to monitor them for developmental delays. There’s also a curriculum framework and prohibitions on physical and emotional abuse of children.
Many of the features that make Head Start distinct from mainstream preschools are spelled out in 122 pages of performance standards. The Trump administration’s proposal would toss most of that rule book and replace it with a much shorter version that eliminates or loosens many requirements, the people familiar with the proposal said. But the proposal also calls for some new regulations, such as requiring all instruction in English.
Requirements around staff-to-student ratios and safety standards would be erased. Operators instead would be instructed to follow local and state laws, which are often far more permissive. And the new proposal also says nothing about suspensions and expulsions, the people said, making it easier for programs to kick out kids with disabilities who are difficult to educate.
Head Start is under threat
Head Start, which has enjoyed robust bipartisan support for decades, has faced several threats since Trump took office last year. Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint authored by the official who is now Trump’s budget chief, called for the federal government to get rid of the program altogether. Last year, in a draft budget, the administration proposed exactly that, saying: “The federal government should not be in the business of mandating curriculum, locations, and performance standards for any form of education.” After public outcry, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees Head Start, told Congress the program’s funding was safe.
Funding for the program was disrupted not long after Trump took office, leading some programs to have to shutter temporarily. It was once again halted after a government shutdown in October that led some centers briefly to close their doors.
Earlier this year, Trump officials also erased a Biden-era rule that mandated raises and greater benefits for Head Start employees. When the rule went in to effect in 2024, Head Start teachers, the majority of whom have bachelor’s degrees, earned less than $40,000 a year on average.
___
___