For over 60 years, the federal program Head Start has helped children from low-income families get ready for elementary school through early childhood education and related support services, like speech therapy and developmental screenings.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Aug. 6, 2026, proposed changes that would cut the majority of the rules that guide Head Start programs and would also give states more authority over how the federal program is run.

This proposal comes after the Trump administration tried unsuccessfully to defund Head Start in 2025. Funding freezes and the government shutdown in 2025 also caused many Head Start centers to temporarily close. These closures caused some staff to resign and compelled some Head Start families to withdraw their children from the program.

The latest proposed changes could alter the program’s day-to-day operations in various ways – whether that means no longer giving children free daily meals or relaxing the program’s student-to-teacher ratio requirements.

The new rules would also mandate that all classes be taught in English, regardless of the language children and their families speak at home.

Some Head Start participants, workers and advocates have expressed concern that these changes would transform Head Start into a different program – from one that alleviates the effects of poverty to one that has a more generic emphasis on early childhood education.

As a doctoral candidate in economics, I’ve spent the past six years studying Head Start and its impact on local communities.

Head Start is a vital provider of childcare and other services for the poorest children and their families in rural,........

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