A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The future of Head Start is uncertain. The Early Education and anti-poverty program is more than 60 years old, and recently, it has been the target for funding cuts. The Department of Health and Human Services says new rules are coming this week, but called information that was leaked to some media organizations incomplete and misleading. NPR education reporter Sequoia Carrillo joins us to talk through what all of this could mean for parents and educators. Sequoia, now for those who do not have experience with Head Start, what is it exactly and who does it serve?
SEQUOIA CARRILLO, BYLINE: So Head Start provides preschool meals and a whole host of support services for low-income children and families. It was started in 1965 under then-President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his war on poverty. The program serves nearly a million kids each year, from birth to age five, both in urban centers, but also in rural and remote locations. Kids experiencing homelessness and in the foster care system are automatically eligible, as well as children who fall at or below the federal poverty line.
It's been going strong for a long time. It's now a $12 billion program that has enjoyed bipartisan support for much of its history. It is often cited as a success. Advocates say it bridges learning gaps for kids in a critical time of learning and development. But in recent years, it has also come under criticism by conservatives who say it's ineffective and full of red tape.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. So what is known about what the Trump administration's plans are for it?
CARRILLO: Some news outlets, including The Nation and The New York Times, reported last week - these reports have not been independently confirmed by NPR - that the Trump administration had drafted language to gut the 133-page standards guide for the program and reduce it to only a few pages. These standards include everything from safety guidelines. They spell out who's eligible for Head Start, and they even require that kids in the program brush their teeth once a day. The Department of Health and Human Services then issued a response to the news reports on X late Saturday night, saying there will be changes announced this week, but that the reports mischaracterize them.
Yesterday, NPR asked for details and clarification, but their press office referred us back to that Saturday night post. We don't have the exact proposal yet, but we can look at the conservative Heritage Foundation's past work and the blueprint it set out in Project 2025 that this administration has often followed, and there the message is very clear - eliminate Head Start. Tommy Sheridan is the deputy director at the National Head Start Association, a nonpartisan group that advocates for the program, and he says they've been bracing for some kind of change for a long time.
TOMMY SHERIDAN: We still have not seen a draft of the proposed comments, and we're anxiously waiting to see what is proposed, and we'll navigate that when it comes.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. So any idea when that might be - those changes?
CARRILLO: So pretty much the one thing we do know for sure is that changing this kind of program takes a long time. Sheridan wanted to assure parents and teachers that Head Start is still operational and they are gearing up for the new school year. Even if the rules come out this week, like HHS suggested, it will kick off a months, if not a yearlong process to seek public comment and talk to stakeholders. Sheridan's organization is preparing for whatever the proposed rule may be but said we may be in for a long ride.
MARTÍNEZ: All right, that's NPR's Sequoia Carrillo. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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