HHS proposes sweeping Head Start changes

Federal standards for how Head Start programs should operate would be significantly pared down under a proposed rule announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The move is designed to give states, local communities and families more autonomy to design their programs based on their needs, HHS officials said late Wednesday.

The reforms, which critics say would weaken the early childhood education program,  aim to reduce federal red tape and what HHS officials called duplicative regulations. The 61-year-old Head Start program provides educational services along with health, nutrition and other supports to about 700,000 infants, toddlers and preschool children from low-income families each year.

The reforms proposed by HHS are significant. They include removing federal rules for class ratios and sizes, curricula expectations and certain staffing requirements. It also would mandate that instruction be in English only. 

HHS also proposes reducing the cap on administrative costs from 15% to 5% of total approved program expenses and removing discipline policies, including undoing a prohibition on corporal punishment. 

In a press call Wednesday evening, Alex Adams, the assistant secretary of HHS' Administration for Children and Families, said the reforms aim to increase parental choice, enhance efficiency, strengthen parental engagement and improve young children's health and physical activity, education and employment outcomes.

"We have 1,600 Head Start providers across the country, and one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington cannot fully account for the realities facing these 1,600 grantees," Adams said. The providers have "vastly different workforce conditions, communities, needs, parental preferences — and federal mandates can certainly hinder local decision making, drive up costs and limit the program's reach."

The changes, Adams said, are projected to add 236,000 Head Start slots for children and save $2.2 billion. In fiscal year 2026, Congress funded Head Start at $12.4 billion.

When asked during the Wednesday press call if the proposed rule is a precursor to reducing federal funds for the program, Adams said President Donald Trump's proposed FY27 budget level would level fund Head Start at $12.4 billion. 

Adams said the proposed rule would not alter what he called key components of existing Head Start regulations, such as offering comprehensive services for young children and requirements for parental engagement and civil rights protections. 

HHS' proposal also would maintain requirements for Head Start programs to focus on families with the greatest need, including those experiencing homelessness, children with disabilities and children in foster care.

"We built this rule around trusting local leaders to make the decisions that are best for their local communities," said Adams. He noted that if the proposed rule becomes final as written, local programs could still decide to maintain certain standards that align with the current regulations.

The proposed rule prioritizes these areas:

• Focusing on health, nutrition and physical exercise. Head Start programs would be required to provide nutrient-dense, whole foods in alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 
  HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who spoke during the press call, said the new rule would make sure "meals are interactive, where children are learning to cook and participating in the preparation of their meals."
  Kennedy said he's visited a number of Head Start programs where these activities are happening. "It's just a wonderful part of the sacred experience of preparing meals every day that a lot of American families have forgotten about, and that we are trying to encourage people to do again," he said.
  The new rule would also require Head Start programs to have 30 minutes of physical activity — outdoors if weather permits — for every 3.5 hours of classroom instruction.
• Reducing administrative costs. HHS proposed lowering the current 15% cap on programs' administrative overhead costs to 5% by reducing federal compliance activities like reporting requirements, so that "more money is reaching children and families, and less is going to administrative overhead, like administrator salaries or administrative offices," Adams said. 
  The change is intended to direct more funds to services for children. Currently, only about 3.7% of Head Start program grantees devote less than a 5% to administrative costs, according to the proposed regulation. 
• Aligning licensing standards. The proposed rule would remove federal requirements for classroom sizes, teacher-child and staff-child ratios, curriculum implementation, and transportation practices — and instead require programs to be licensed under state requirements.
  HHS said this is to align with individual state standards. HHS said this change would allow local programs to work more in-step with state early childhood systems and empower states to take the lead in all of its early education programs. 

The proposal would allow flexibility in documenting homelessness for Head Start eligibility, but would no longer permit families to self-report this status.  

The proposed changes are to be published in the Federal Register on Friday, after which there will be 60-day period for public comment. Adams said he hopes the public provides feedback "so that we can get this rule right."

Advocates push back

Moments after HHS announced the proposed rule, several early childhood advocacy organizations expressed alarm. 

"Fewer rules cannot mean fewer results,” said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association. 

“Head Start makes a promise to a family — that their child will be safe, healthy, and ready for school. That promise is the same in rural Montana as it is in Baltimore. We will read every page of this proposal against whether it keeps that promise or quietly lets it go,” Vinci said in an Aug. 6 statement.

Vinci emphasized the proposed rule is just the beginning of a months- or years-long regulatory process. NHSA is a nonprofit that represents Head Start families, providers and educators.

“Head Start’s doors are open today, and they will be open tomorrow,” Vinci said. 

Still, there's an urgency to understanding and responding to the proposed changes, said Melissa Boteach, chief policy officer with Zero to Three, a nonprofit that advocates for quality programs for infants and toddlers and their families.

The proposed rule "rolls back" many of the federal standards that provide a foundation for early learning and developmental success. She cited examples including standards for children's mental health services, many pre- and postpartum supports for mothers, and safety measures like bus monitors. 

The proposed regulations, coupled with a temporary funding freeze to Head Start in 2025 and other disruptions, combine to cause "chaos and confusion" and take "a toll on families," Boteach said.

Financial burden predicted

Some early childhood advocates said the proposed rule, if finalized, could pile on financial burdens to providers already struggling to supply quality services if they were held to a 5% administrative cap. 

Some providers may have to lay off staff if this rule goes through as written, said Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, executive director of the Illinois Head Start Association.

"It will have a drastic impact on children and families that receive Head Start and Early Head Start services across the country," Morrison-Frichtl said during a Thursday press call hosted by Start Early, a nonprofit that advocates for quality early learning and well-being.

Democratic lawmakers are also on high alert.

"For millions of families, Head Start is the first place anyone will check their child’s hearing, vision, or teeth — ignoring the health and safety of these kids today will just cost us more tomorrow," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., in an Aug. 6 statement. 

"This proposed rule also gives programs across the country a green light to slam the door shut on any kid with a disability they decide is too difficult or too much work to take care of," Murray said. "None of this helps families — much of it could lead to catastrophe."

Heritage offers support

At the same time, the plan drew support from other quarters.

The conservative Heritage Foundation has called for deregulation and eventual elimination of Head Start. A June 25 paper published by the organization said Head Start does not prepare young children for K-12 education and has other flaws. 

Testimonials from Head Start alumni, and as well as various extensive research, however, have told a different story about the six-decade-old program's success. For example, a report released in 2025 from the Center for American Progress shows Head Start has provided mental health supports for vulnerable families.

The Heritage Foundation suggests that while the legislative process plays out on sunsetting Head Start, Congress should provide eligible parents with their child’s share of Head Start funds to pursue other preschool options.

"Ideally, lawmakers should end Head Start," the paper said. "For now, officials must cut the program’s webs of red tape."

Jonathan Butcher, acting director of Heritage's Center for Education Policy and co-author of the paper, said in an email Thursday that the proposed rule should reduce the regulations from 130 pages to 10.

"The program should be sunset due to longstanding failures to improve student outcomes and safety lapses, but along the way, deregulation is just good policy,” Butcher said.