Reducing federal burden for Head Start programs

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has proposed sweeping changes to Head Start, the federal program that provides early education programs for families with low income. Together with Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco, Public Rights Project filed a comment urging HHS to withdraw the rule entirely.

The rule would eliminate basic classroom quality and safety standards, limit instruction to English, and severely restrict budgets. The result would be fewer teachers in classrooms, weaker protections for children and staff, and fewer of our nation’s most vulnerable children given the tools they need to succeed in kindergarten.

Local governments know the value of Head Start in their communities deeply. Some run programs directly, others pass federal funding to local providers, while others rely on their community Head Start programs for their early education programs. All depend on Head Start’s continued funding and rigorous standards to deliver an education that allows children facing incredible obstacles to succeed in school. Our comment lays out the devastating harm the proposed rule would cause to communities:

• Weaker safety standards: Eliminating federal requirements for child-to-staff ratio, group size, and essential support like bus monitors will create uncertainty and irregularity in programs. Children will fall through the cracks, and local governments will be left to fill the gaps.
• Fewer children served: A lower cap on administrative costs would force programs to cut staff and services. 
• Higher costs: The rule would replace national standards with a patchwork of state and local rules, which are often less rigorous. Local governments would bear the administrative costs of navigating them. Transition costs for the 1,526 Head Start agencies are estimated to range from $1.5 million to $3.6 million.
• English-only instruction: In Boston, about 67% of children in Head Start are dual-language learners. Cities and counties with large bilingual populations will have to incur the costs to rewrite their curriculum to comply, and all students will miss the opportunity to develop dual language skills.
• Reduced access for families who are homeless: The rule would prevent families from attesting to their housing situation and would require documentation instead. But people experiencing homelessness often struggle to get access to important documents. These barriers to enrollment would keep the students who need Head Start most from accessing the program and put a strain on other local services.

Finally, the rule defies Congress’ clear mandate, which requires Head Start programs to meet established requirements and provide specific services. We urge HHS to withdraw the proposed rule.

Read the comment.