Pappas, 189 Members of Congress Slam HHS Effort to Dismantle Head Start

Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined 189 Members of Congress in demanding that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) withdraw its proposal to remove more than 90 percent of Head Start’s standards that ensure children receive a high-quality early education. Under the proposed rule, nearly one in ten children currently enrolled in Head Start could become ineligible overnight.

The Members are concerned that the proposed rule would illegally modify and weaken the services required by the Head Start Act. Specifically, the rule would eliminate federal quality standards for Head Start classrooms, including safety standards, staff-to-child ratios, staff qualifications, and standards for teaching. Additionally, the rule would erode critical services Head Start provides children and families, including health services. It would also shorten Head Start operating hours, eliminate enrollment protections for children with disabilities, and undermine services for dual language learners.

“This proposed rule is a brazen attempt to dismantle Head Start without regard for the hundreds of thousands of young children and working-class families who depend on these programs and services every year. Under your proposal, Head Start children could be subject to corporal punishment; left unsupervised; have larger class sizes; have less qualified teachers; and no longer receive preventative and continuous health services, including oral health and mental health services,” wrote the Members. “We strongly urge you to withdraw the proposed rule, obey the law, and protect the legacy of Head Start.”

Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, HHS has repeatedly attempted to undermine and disrupt Head Start programs with an aggressive deregulation agenda, illegally withholding funding, firing federal staff, and threats to eliminate the program entirely.

To read the full letter, click here.