WASHINGTON – The Trump administration said Thursday it is moving to significantly reshape Head Start, proposing to strip away many of the federal rules that have long defined the early childhood education program serving some of America’s poorest children.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which manages the federally funded preschool initiative, said the plan is intended to put more authority in the hands of local Head Start providers. But early education specialists warn that loosening the rules could weaken a program widely viewed as a national benchmark for high-quality early learning.
The Associated Press had earlier reported details of the proposed Head Start overhaul, which was formally made public Thursday through an online posting. The proposal now enters a 60-day public comment period before any final changes take effect.
Head Start currently reaches roughly 700,000 children facing some of the nation’s greatest hardships, including children who are homeless, in foster care or living with disabilities. Administration officials said those eligibility priorities would remain in place under the new plan.
Alex J. Adams, an assistant secretary at Health and Human Services, said the agency wants local programs to have more room to decide how they operate. That would involve removing many existing Head Start regulations, including rules governing low staff-to-child ratios and requirements that centers offer support services to children’s families.
“Federal mandates can certainly hinder local decision-making, drive up costs and limit the program’s reach,” Adams told reporters, pointing to a yearslong drop in Head Start enrollment. “If we get this proposed rule right, we will grow the number of Head Start slots.”
During a call outlining the proposed changes, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy praised Head Start’s legacy. The program was launched during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration by Kennedy’s uncle, Sargent Shriver.
“It’s a program that works for the most vulnerable of the poorest kids in our society, and it’s really important we protect it,” Kennedy said.
But the changes would undermine many of the things that make Head Start distinct from other early education programs, policy experts say.
“The model was created with intentionality,” said Khari Garvin, who oversaw Head Start under President Joe Biden, a Democrat. It was designed, he said, “as part of a strategy to move families out of poverty.”
What makes Head Start different
Head Start, which began in the 1960s as part of Johnson’s War on Poverty, is currently governed by more than 100 pages of regulations. Those regulations require centers to have low staff-to-student ratios and a research-backed curriculum, among other things, and they ensure centers are providing wraparound services that are critical to children in poverty, including medical and dental screenings and parent coaching.
The proposal would toss out nearly all of that rule book. Instead, Head Start’s 1,600 operators — which include nonprofits and school districts — would look to state and local childcare licensing requirements for guidance on many aspects of the program.
Once the proposed regulations are published online, the public will have 60 days to weigh in. The final rules could face legal scrutiny, further delaying their implementation.
While the proposed rules largely loosen requirements, Adams emphasized that centers have the option to continue to operate as they had in the past. He estimated the new rules could generate more than $2 billion in savings and potentially allow Head Start to serve more children.
The proposal adds in at least two new requirements, officials said. It includes a 5% cap on administrative expenses, down from 15% under current rules, and new nutrition provisions championed by Kennedy.
State rules are more lenient
Overall, experts emphasize, state childcare licensing requirements are far more lax than Head Start’s current regulations. State rules are largely focused on ensuring children are healthy and safe. Generally speaking, they do not require centers to provide things like medical or dental screenings, they don’t specify ways to engage with parents, and they don’t speak to what — if anything — should be taught in childcare settings.
Shantel Meek, who heads the Children’s Equity Project at Arizona State University, co-authored an analysis that compared state licensing requirements with Head Start standards and found massive gaps.
“Whereas licensing is, like, the bare minimum to keep kids safe, Head Start includes keeping kids safe but also ensuring that kids are developing, growing, learning well,” Meek said. “It’s a totally different purpose.”
Critically, states allow adults to care for far more children than is allowed under Head Start standards. In Mississippi, for example, one Head Start teacher is only allowed to teach up to four 2-year-olds. State childcare regulations would permit up to a dozen 2-year-olds to be supervised by one adult.
Head Start, which operates in all 50 states, has long had support from both Democrats and Republicans. But it has faced repeated threats under the Trump administration, whose budget chief, Russell Vought, had previously called for it to be eliminated. Not long after Trump, a Republican, took office again in early 2025, some Head Start programs had to briefly shutter because they had problems accessing their federal money. Later, a budget draft eliminated Head Start’s funding, but it was restored after widespread backlash.
In a call with reporters, Kennedy said he believes Head Start is effective. He cited research showing its graduates have fewer law enforcement encounters, do better in school and have better jobs than their peers. He added that he tried to shield Head Start from many of the cuts that hit the rest of his agency.
Still, the Trump administration succeeded last year in laying off much of Head Start’s support staff and closing half of its regional offices.
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