Trump administration proposes sweeping changes to Head Start, aiming to reduce federal regulations and give states more control

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is moving forward with a proposed rule to significantly alter Head Start standards, a key early education program for low-income children. The reforms aim to reduce federal red tape and what officials call duplicative regulations, giving states and local communities more autonomy. Proposed changes include removing federal requirements for class ratios, sizes, curricula expectations, and certain staffing, and mandating English-only instruction. Critics express concern that these changes could weaken the 61-year-old program, which provides educational, health, nutrition, and other supports to approximately 700,000 children annually.