NHSA Welcomes Improvements in Newly Released Head Start Final Rule, Urges Funding Increases for Full Implementation

Washington, D.C.—The National Head Start Association (NHSA) welcomed improvements outlined in the Head Start Final Rule, released today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The organization expressed relief that HHS has listened to the Head Start community’s comments and concerns about the initial proposed rule, but also emphasized that inadequate funding remains a significant barrier to eventual implementation of the new provisions.

“We are pleased to see that the final rule addresses many of the concerns raised by the Head Start community,” said NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci. “The final rule will allow programs to continue doing what they do best: providing a safe, healthy, and well-rounded classroom experience for young children, while also offering essential support and resources to their families beyond the classroom.”

The new rule, “Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming,” aims to strengthen and improve Head Start for future generations of children from income-eligible families, who may not have the same opportunities as others. The process leading to today began with publication of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) last November.

During the comment period, Head Start program administrators, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders joined together to voice their support for the rule’s intent. At the same time, many of them also raised concerns about certain provisions that appeared to revert Head Start to an era of overly prescriptive federal oversight. It appears throughout the Final Rule that HHS carefully considered the united voices of the Head Start community.

Despite these positive changes, NHSA expressed continuing disappointment that the final rule does not address the need for significant additional funding to fully achieve its stated objectives. The organization remains concerned that, if Congress and future administrations do not agree to such increases, the impact of the final rule could prove devastating, by significantly reducing the number of children and families served by Head Start programs. Moving forward, NHSA is committed to working to balance these competing demands while continuing the fight on Capitol Hill for the needed levels of funding to sustain and enhance Head Start services.

“We are encouraged that the final rule largely supports the successful approach that has guided Head Start over the past decade, one which emphasizes local decision-making and continuous quality improvement,” Vinci added. “We look forward to working with Congress and HHS to continue to enhance services for children and families without eliminating access or chipping away at Head Start’s deeply rooted values of local flexibility and community empowerment.”