Why Trump’s plan to cut Head Start regulations could undermine services for the country’s poorest families
There is research showing that there are numerous benefits for a low-income child to attend a Head Start program, though these effects are less clear as the child ages.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently proposed changes to the federal Head Start program, which could significantly alter its operations and potentially undermine services for impoverished families. Head Start, a program established in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, provides early childhood education and related support services to over 700,000 low-income children aged 3-5 and their families across the United States.
The program operates under a $12.3 billion annual budget and is typically managed by nonprofits or local schools.
The proposed changes would eliminate the majority of the rules that govern Head Start programs, giving states greater authority over the federal program. This includes potentially ending free daily meals, relaxing student-to-teacher ratio requirements, and mandating that all classes be taught in English, regardless of the language spoken at home.
Critics argue that these changes could transform Head Start from a program specifically designed to address the effects of poverty into a more generic early childhood education program.
Concerns have been raised by Head Start participants, workers, and advocates that these proposed changes could fundamentally alter the program's mission and impact. The author, a doctoral candidate in economics, has conducted research on Head Start for the past six years and emphasizes that the program is crucial for providing childcare and other essential services to the poorest children and their families in rural, urban, and suburban communities across the U.S. The author contends that reducing the number of federal rules governing Head Start is unlikely to enhance the program's quality or expand its availability to those who need it most.
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