WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is drafting new rules to overhaul the Head Start program by replacing over 100 pages of federal regulations with a shorter set of rules, shifting oversight to state and local laws, and requiring English-only instruction. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families issued a proposed rule titled Restoring Flexibility To Support Head Start Program Access on May 12, 2026.

The proposed rules would reduce the current performance standards, described as spanning more than 100 pages in one source and 133 pages in another, to approximately a dozen pages. Under the proposal, Head Start operators would be instructed to follow state and local laws for requirements such as staff-to-student ratios and safety standards, which are currently defined by federal regulation. The draft rules would require all instruction in Head Start programs to be conducted in English.

The draft rules would require additional documentation from parents who are homeless or unemployed. An early version of the proposal included a provision barring parents without legal immigration status from enrolling their children, even if the children are U.S. citizens, though it is unclear if this will remain in the final draft. The proposal does not address suspensions and expulsions.

Khari Garvin, former head of the Office of Head Start under President Joe Biden, said the changes would fundamentally alter the program. "We'd have the carcass of Head Start. You might have a program that's called Head Start, but in substance it will not be," Garvin said.

Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, expressed concern about the upcoming regulatory shift. "We're very anxious. When it does come out we’ll be ready to fight back where we need to fight back," Sheridan said.

A White House official stated in an email that the administration is supporting Head Start by keeping its federal funding in place and reducing administrative burdens. Federal law requires the administration to allow at least one month for public comment once the proposed rules are made public. Alex Adams is the head of the Administration for Children and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Head Start serves low-income children nationwide, with enrollment figures cited as more than half a million in one source and about 700,000 in another. The annual budget for Head Start is $12 billion. Head Start was established in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. Head Start has served more than 30 million children since its creation.

Current Head Start regulations require operators to provide medical, dental, and vision screenings for children and monitor them for developmental delays. In 2024, Head Start teachers, the majority of whom hold bachelor's degrees, earned an average annual salary of less than $40,000. A 2022 report by the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general found that one in four Head Start grant recipients had incidents of child abuse, lack of supervision, or unauthorized release of children.

Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint, called for the elimination of the Head Start program. The Trump administration proposed eliminating Head Start funding in a draft budget last year, citing that the federal government should not mandate curriculum or performance standards for education. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated to Congress that Head Start funding was safe after public outcry over the draft budget proposal.

Head Start funding was disrupted shortly after President Trump took office and again during a government shutdown in October, causing some centers to temporarily close. A congressional watchdog found that the White House illegally withheld appropriated Head Start spending, leading to the release of the funds. Trump officials rescinded a Biden-era rule in early 2026 that mandated raises and greater benefits for Head Start employees.

Why It Matters

Shifting oversight from federal to state and local laws alters safety and staffing standards for a program serving up to 700,000 low-income children. Requiring English-only instruction and additional documentation for homeless or unemployed parents changes access requirements established since 1965. These modifications follow previous funding disruptions and the rescission of employee benefit mandates, affecting the operational structure of the $12 billion initiative.