HHS unveils reforms to Head Start educational program to expand access, cut federal requirements

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Aug. 6 a proposed overhaul of federal standards governing Head Start, the early childhood education program for children from low-income families, in an effort to expand access, reduce administrative costs, and give states and local providers greater control over program operations.

The proposal, titled “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs,” would replace existing federal performance standards with a streamlined set of rules focused on school readiness, child health, and parental involvement, according to an HHS press release.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his uncle, Sarge Shriver, founded the program on the simple conviction that “strong families, wholesome nutrition, and healthy childhood development can change the course of a child’s life.” 

“Head Start began as a bold commitment to the health, dignity, and potential of every child,” Kennedy said in the release. “Today, we are returning Head Start to those roots. We are removing unnecessary bureaucracy, strengthening nutrition and physical health, trusting parents and local communities, and opening Head Start to hundreds of thousands more children. That’s how we renew the promise of Head Start for the next generation.”

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), which oversees Head Start, projected that the changes could save or redirect about $2.2 billion annually once fully implemented, according to the release. The agency said that money could create as many as 236,000 Head Start slots nationwide. The program currently serves roughly 700,000 children.

Under the proposed rule, Head Start programs would follow applicable state and local requirements rather than federal standards in several areas, including class sizes, staff-to-child ratios, employee education requirements, background checks, and transportation practices. 

The rule would also lower the share of a program’s budget that may be spent on administrative costs from 15% to 5%, directing more money toward services for children and families, according to HHS. 

Programs would be required to provide nutrient-dense, whole foods consistent with the new federal dietary guidelines and meet baseline requirements for children’s physical activity. 

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The proposal would also formally recognize parents as children’s primary teachers, a change HHS said would ensure family engagement “is grounded in partnership and shared responsibility rather than compliance-driven process requirements.”

ACF Assistant Secretary Alex Adams criticized the Biden administration for overseeing the “largest decline in Head Start slots in American history” and said the proposal “reverses that decline.”

“Head Start’s greatest strength is the people who make the program work,” Adams said in the release, “and we seek to empower them to work directly with parents to best meet the needs of their local communities.”

The proposed rule is open for public comment through Oct. 6.