Trump administration announces major overhaul of Head Start program

The Trump administration has proposed a major overhaul of Head Start, the federal preschool program for low-income children, saying the changes would give local operators more flexibility. The plan, announced Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Services, would scrap most of the program’s regulations.

Head Start serves about 700,000 vulnerable children, including those who are homeless, in foster care or disabled. That population is unchanged, though critics say the new rules could make it harder for unemployed or homeless parents to enroll their children.

Assistant HHS secretary Alex JAdams said federal mandates can hinder local decision-making, raise costs and limit the program’s reach. He cited a decade-long enrollment decline and said the proposal could create more Head Start slots.

Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said Head Start, founded by his uncle Sargent Shriver under Lyndon B Johnson, works for the most vulnerable children and must be protected.

Former Head Start leader Khari Garvin, who served under Joe Biden, called the proposal a “shell” and “deeply diluted,” saying it would weaken child and community outcomes.

The plan eliminates about 1,400 regulations, leaving questions of safety and class sizes to state and local licensing rules. It also drops detailed lead-prevention requirements, deadlines for health and developmental screenings, family support services and a mandate for brushing teeth at school.

Adams said centers can continue current practices if they choose, and estimated the changes could save over $2bn and allow more children to be served.

Advocates call the proposal out of touch. Many centers face rising labor, healthcare and supply costs, while the administration has not proposed increasing the program’s $12bn annual budget. Without federal standards, operators could be forced to cut staff or drop developmental screenings.

New requirements include English-only instruction except in tribal immersion programs, a 5% cap on administrative costs (down from 15%), and 30 minutes of physical activity — outdoors if possible — per three and a half hours of class time. Kennedy’s nutrition rules would require teaching families about the harms of sugary drinks and grain-based desserts.

Kennedy said research shows Head Start graduates do better in school and have better jobs, and he tried to shield the program from wider cuts. Still, last year the administration laid off many Head Start support staff and closed half its regional offices.