Head Start welcomes Xavier Becerra

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Head Start Association congratulated Xavier Becerra upon his confirmation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the Biden-Harris Administration. Secretary Becerra is the first Latino to serve as the Secretary for HHS, which is home to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Head Start, the federal early childhood program that serves more than one million children and their families each year.

“During his 24 years in Congress and most recently as Attorney General of California, Secretary Becerra demonstrated his commitment to our nation’s at-risk children and families as a strong supporter of Head Start,” NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci said. “We congratulate him on this appointment and look forward to working with him and his team to ensure that Head Start continues to thrive under his leadership.”

In his time in Congress, Secretary Becerra was a strong proponent of Head Start, saying in 2015: “Head Start has opened the doors of opportunity for our most vulnerable children and their families…I will continue to make sure that these programs are there for working families who need them most.” The Head Start community welcomes Secretary Becerra to the Department of Health and Human Services.

About NHSA

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to realizing the promise of Head Start; that all children have a chance to succeed in school and in life. NHSA is the voice for nearly 700,000 children served by more than 250,000 staff every single day in rural, urban, and suburban communities in all 50 states. In 2025, we celebrate 60 years of service to 40 million children, their families, and communities across the country. ••• Media Contact: Lauren Lawson-Zilai; Senior Director, Communications; media@nhsa.org

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