Help Protect Head Start!
In early August, the federal government proposed significant changes to Head Start. For over 60 years, Head Start has provided high-quality early learning alongside health, developmental, nutrition, mental health, and family supports. These proposed changes would affect what families children and families experience.
One of the most concerning changes impacts class sizes, staffing standards, and teacher qualifications that would result in more children with fewer educators including:
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- Changes to classroom sizes and child-to-adult ratios
- Less guidance causing confusion for local program operations
- Curriculum implementation and requirements to English-only instruction
- Weakened staff qualifications
With this new proposal, approximately 700,000 children and families who benefit from this program are at risk of reduced services. Moreover, it makes access to Head Start more challenging and impacts the quality of the program.
These changes are not final and as of now, this is a proposal – not law. However, in order to influence this decision, we need your help! Contacting your federal lawmakers makes more than a difference. It creates impact. Whether you call or submit a public comment, every action counts. The public has until October 6 to weigh in. Use our guide to submit your own public comment.
Over the next few weeks, we will dive deeper into some of the proposed changes and ways to take action. You can begin by completing the action below!
Resources
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- For a high-level overview: Trying Together response
- For a collection of resources at the state level: Pennsylvania Head Start Association
- For a collection of resources at the federal level: Start Early – Together for Head Start
- Easy to read key takeaways: Start Early summary
- Searchable tool based on topic: First Five Years Fund guide
- Public Comment Guide: Trying Together Guide
Take Action
Get Public Policy Updates
To accomplish this important work, we need supporters who will join us to raise their voices, use traditional and social media, and meet with policy makers. By signing-on to our Public Policy Agenda, you’ll receive action alerts to advocate on behalf of young children, their families, and the early care and education professionals who interact with them. Enter your information below to sign-up for our public policy updates and take action: