The Trump administration is preparing to slash Head Start's federal regulatory framework from more than 100 pages to roughly a dozen, transferring authority over the preschool program for low-income children to state and local governments. Two people familiar with the deliberations confirmed the dramatic restructuring, which would eliminate most federal quality standards and replace them with deference to existing state law.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that a proposed rule would be published this week. "The administration remains committed to strengthening Head Start by preserving federal investment in the program while advancing reforms that expand access, increase local flexibility, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and ensure services are delivered effectively to children and families in need," department spokesperson Emily Hilliard said.
The Regulatory Overhaul
Head Start's current performance standards span 122 pages and dictate requirements on child-to-teacher ratios, health screenings, curriculum frameworks, and family engagement protocols. The proposed rules would eliminate or loosen many of these mandates, instead directing operators to follow state and local laws, which are often less restrictive. Requirements around staff-to-student ratios and safety standards would be erased under the proposal, the people familiar with the deliberations told The Associated Press. The new framework also calls for requiring all instruction in English.
The draft rules would require additional documentation from parents who are homeless or unemployed. An early version of the proposal would have barred parents in the United States illegally from enrolling their children, even if the children are U.S. citizens, though it's unclear whether that provision will make the final draft.
Head Start serves more than half a million low-income babies, toddlers and preschoolers nationwide. Established in the 1960s as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, the program offers free preschool and developmental screenings to families that qualify. It also provides family support services.
Administrative Burden vs. Standards
The proposal says nothing about suspensions and expulsions, making it easier for programs to remove children with disabilities who are difficult to educate, according to the people familiar with the plan. Federal law requires the administration to allow at least a month for public comment once the proposal is published. If new rules are finalized, there may be implementation delays, and potential lawsuits could halt the changes.
Khari Garvin, who ran the Office of Head Start under President Joe Biden, said the changes could make the program unrecognizable. "We'd have the carcass of Head Start," Garvin said. "You might have a program that's called Head Start, but in substance it will not be." Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, said the organization hasn't yet seen the proposed rules but would "be ready to fight back where we need to fight back."
Ruth Friedman, who helped the Obama administration draft the regulations now in jeopardy, argued the standards are essential for preparing children for kindergarten. "If the administration strikes down those standards, it would set back our nation's educational goals and our efforts to reduce poverty, and it is explicitly prohibited by the Head Start law itself," Friedman said.
Federal Footprint Reduction
The Trump administration has pursued multiple changes to Head Start since taking office last year. Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint authored by the official who is now Trump's budget chief, called for eliminating the program entirely. Last year, a draft budget proposed exactly that, stating: "The federal government should not be in the business of mandating curriculum, locations, and performance standards for any form of education." After public outcry, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Congress the program's funding was safe.
Funding disruptions occurred shortly after Trump took office, forcing some programs to temporarily shutter. Another government shutdown in October led some centers to briefly close their doors. The administration also let go scores of federal workers who supported the program and closed half of its regional offices. It began discouraging those seeking Head Start grants from using words like "woman" or "race" in their applications, part of an effort to eliminate diversity, equity or inclusion programs. Courts put both the anti-DEI and anti-immigration efforts on hold after lawsuits.
Earlier this year, Trump officials erased a Biden-era rule that mandated raises and greater benefits for Head Start employees. When that rule went into effect in 2024, Head Start teachers, the majority of whom have bachelor's degrees, earned less than $40,000 a year on average.
Jody Smith, a lead Head Start teacher south of Seattle, said she's seen how critical many requirements are, especially those for engaging with families and screening kids for disabilities. Smith was a high school dropout when she enrolled her first child in Head Start, where she was encouraged to return to school and later became a teacher. The program also helped diagnose her youngest child with autism. "I would have probably stayed as a poverty line," Smith said. "And I don't know that we would have gotten as far in life as we have."
Why This Matters:
The proposed regulatory rollback represents a fundamental shift in federal education policy, transferring decision-making authority from Washington to states and localities. For conservatives who've long argued that one-size-fits-all federal mandates stifle innovation and impose unnecessary costs, the move delivers on a core principle: local control. The administration's stated goal of reducing administrative burden while preserving federal investment reflects a belief that Head Start operators can deliver quality services without extensive federal micromanagement. However, the changes also raise questions about accountability and whether state laws provide adequate safeguards for vulnerable children. The proposal's fate will likely hinge on whether courts determine it exceeds executive authority under the Head Start statute, and whether state and local governments can maintain program quality without detailed federal standards. Head Start has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades, making this regulatory fight a test of whether federalism principles can coexist with poverty-fighting programs originally designed around national standards.