Head Start Update
- AZHSA
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
What is happening to Head Start?
On August 7, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services shared proposed changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards. Although Head Start is organized under and somewhat protected by the Head Start Act, the Standards set expectations for quality and many of the services provided.
What is being proposed?
The proposal indicates a desire to eliminate key elements of the Standards and instead follow state requirements. While there are certainly regulations that could be loosened there are some of these proposed changes that threatens program quality and wrap around services. A few of these are:
Requires all classrooms instructions be in English only
Removal requirements for Parent Committees and Policy Council beyond what is in the Act.
Eligibility could narrow; from allowability for self attestation and non-statutory requirements for serving children with disabilities.
Eliminates health and safety standards
Reduces the administrative cap.
You can find and read the whole proposal here.
Why This Is Happening Through Regulation, Not Congress
Major changes to Head Start have typically gone through Congress, debated and voted on, as in the program’s last reauthorization in 2007. This time, HHS has submitted a proposal. That means there won’t be a congressional vote, but there is a public comment period.
We need everyone in our Head Start community to comment through the official process. The federal government is legally required to read and respond to public comments before finalizing a rule. Comments provide real-world data, surface concrete impacts, suggest alternatives, and become part of the official legal record, one that matters if the rule is ever challenged in court. A well-written comment from a parent, teacher or community member can carry as much weight as one from a national organization. Your voice matters!
You can submit your comments here.
What’s at Stake for Arizona
Head Start is woven into communities across the state. Nearly 17,000 children are served are served in the state of Arizona, and decades of research show those children are more likely to graduate high school, less likely to need special education later, and more likely to have better health outcomes and earnings as adults. Those are the returns a rollback would put at risk.
Our Position
AZHSA is opposing the NPRM proposal.
What You Can Do Right Now
Read and get familiar with the Head Start Act, and the propsed rule. During the comment period, we want our community ready:
Follow AZHSA on social media (Facebook and Instagram) to stay updated
Think about your story now. Personal, specific experience — as a parent, teacher, provider, or Head Start alum — is exactly what makes a public comment effective.
Plan to comment, not just share. Sharing raises awareness; a submitted comment becomes part of the record the agency has to respond to.
For over 60 years, Head Start has kept the same promise to families in every state, including Arizona.
Related Articles
Trump overhaul could gut Head Start preschool standards, leaving states to set the rules, AP News: President Donald Trump’s administration is planning a dramatic overhaul of Head Start that would gut its quality standards, upending the hallmarks of the early education program for impoverished children, two people familiar with the deliberations said.
A New Trump Rule Would Lower Standards at Head Start and Exclude Immigrants From the Program, The Nation: The Trump administration is on the verge of releasing a proposed rule that would eliminate crucial quality standards at the nation’s preschool program for low-income children.
Trump Preparing a New Attack on Head Start, The Bulwark: The administration is considering a proposal to gut the program’s instructional standards while adding new restrictions tied to immigration.
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