Feds’ Proposal to Alter Head Start Could ‘Dismantle’ Program in Virginia, Parents and Advocates Say

Amanda Daugherty, a mother from Nottoway County, valued the Head Start program in Virginia because it closely reflected her values and experience before she was hired by the program in October 2021.

Less than six months later, the program came to her aid after her husband died, stepping in to help stabilize her family and give her children a strong developmental and educational start during a time of uncertainty.

“Our local agency … wrapped their arms around me. I had no family here, nothing,” Daugherty said, adding that Head Start helped her keep working to support her family.

Now, four years later, the program Daugherty called “very special” is facing an overhaul.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families proposed significant changes to the program, framing them as measures to reduce federal regulatory burden, restore local flexibility and give greater authority to states, programs, and parents.

The administration’s proposal also seeks to remove unnecessary, overlapping requirements and refocus Head Start on children’s health, nutrition, physical activity and school readiness.

HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., appointed by President Donald Trump, said, “We are removing unnecessary bureaucracy, strengthening nutrition and physical health, trusting parents and local communities, and opening Head Start to hundreds of thousands more children.”

He added, “That’s how we renew the promise of Head Start for the next generation.”

Daugherty and advocates from the Virginia Head Start Association (VAHSA), which supports Head Start professionals through training and advocacy to improve the lives of young children and families, said the proposal risks the program’s future.

Their concerns focus on child safety, quality, and inclusion; family input and program capacity; and access and equity for underserved communities, all of which would be reduced or eliminated under the new plan, they said.

Virginia has nearly 11,000 funded Head Start and Early Head Start spaces for children under age five that support their educational and social development.

In 1965, HHS launched Head Start to provide health, nutrition and education services to children, including those whose families fall below the federal poverty line, which is currently around $30,000 for a family of four.

VAHSA Executive Director Dawn Ault said in a statement that staff see daily how the program changes children’s lives, helping them gain the skills they need to succeed in school. It helps parents find trusted partners and families connect to services that support their health and well-being.

“This proposal would strip away the standards that make those outcomes possible,” Ault said. “We urge HHS to withdraw this proposal and preserve the standards that have made Head Start work for children and families for more than 60 years.”

Advocates believe the proposal will weaken protections and quality standards for children because the administration plans to eliminate classroom ratios and group-size limits. The proposal would also reduce requirements for serving children with disabilities and multilingual learners.

“The idea in this notice of proposed rulemaking is that they will turn the ratios to the state ratios, which means you’re serving more children,” said Tamie Rittenhouse, Head Start director at the Children’s Center in Western Tidewater. “When you get up into those higher ratios, you’re not educating children. You’re warehousing them.”

The proposal would make parent committees optional and eliminate several federal requirements governing their structure, which the association argues will stifle parents’ perspectives and input.

The association is also concerned that the proposal would reduce program capacity by restricting how programs can use federal funds for day-to-day operations. The federal agency has proposed reducing the amount of Head Start grant funding that can be spent on administrative costs from the current 15% ceiling to 5%.

Limiting allowable administrative spending could constrain programs’ ability to fund operations, potentially leading to staff cuts, workforce retention challenges, or service reductions, opponents said.

HHS said the proposed rule could create up to 236,000 new spaces for children while strengthening focus on health and nutrition.

But this change will reduce access, leading to fewer children being able to participate in the program and reducing equity for vulnerable families, VAHSA said. This could compound challenges for rural, underserved, and low-income communities, the association added.

“I feel like this notice of proposed rulemaking is basically a backdoor approach to dismantle the program from within, and … Head Start will cease to be what Head Start truly is,” Rittenhouse said

Public comments about the proposed shifts are open until Oct. 6, 2026. Search “ACF-2026-0595” or email Deregulation@acf.hhs.gov. Include the docket number ACF-2026-0595 and/or RIN number 0970-AD30 in the subject line of the message. HHS will then review the comments and decide whether to revise, finalize, and adopt the proposed changes.

By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

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