Trump administration plans overhaul of Head Start preschool program

The Trump administration is preparing a major revision of the federal Head Start program, which serves more than half a million low‑income infants, toddlers and preschoolers across the United States. The draft would replace the current 100‑page set of regulations with roughly a dozen pages, shifting most detailed requirements—such as child‑to‑teacher ratios, health screenings and family‑engagement standards—to state and local authorities.

The proposal also calls for additional documentation from parents who are homeless or unemployed, and an early version would have barred children of parents who are in the United States illegally from enrolling, even if the children are U.S. citizens. Critics, including former Head Start director Khari Garvin, warn the changes could leave the program unrecognizable, saying, “We’d have the carcass of Head Start.” The White House, the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Health and Human Services have not responded to inquiries.