Time is winding down for people to speak out before proposed changes to Head Start are potentially implemented by the Trump administration.
The changes were announced in August with a 60-day comment period that ends on Oct. 6, 2026.
These changes include reducing federal regulations and giving more authority to states, but advocates say without established federal regulation, they feel children and families in need will suffer the consequences.
“I do have a 3-year-old Brayden. It’s actually his two-year anniversary today of him joining Head Start,” said Megan Newsome, who advocates for Head Start.
She says the 60-year-old program was a major help to her during a critical time of need.
“I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer while pregnant with him,” said Newsome. “So, it was huge on being able to trust Head Start in taking care of my child in this huge time.”
Advocates say the Trump administration’s proposal to “defer to state policies whenever possible” concerns them.
In New York, the United Neighborhood Houses, which is a membership organization for New York settlement houses, are some of the state’s early providers of Head Start.
Nora Moran, the organization’s director of policy and advocacy, says if New York voters care about affordability, Head Start should be one of the issues that’s top of mind when they head to the polls in November.
“The proposed rule – one of the examples that it walks through is removing certain screening requirements around developmental delays that a child might have, health screenings, encouraging them to get connected to a dentist,” said Moran.
Head Start was initially launched in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “war on poverty.”
According to HeadStart.gov, the program serves over 50,000 New York children. Nationally, it serves more than 700,000 in providing early education, health screenings and healthy meals during a child’s most critical window of brain development.
Zero to Three is a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring infants and toddlers have a strong start in life.
Its chief policy officer, Melissa Boteach, tells Spectrum News 1 she is having conversations with leaders across the country about what these changes may mean for them.
“We are talking to folks in New York, and in many states in part because this is something that will affect state policy as well,” said Boteach. “If you undermine Head Start, that’s how a lot of children in New York and the country are getting services, are getting childcare. So, this is going to put enormous pressure on other services if those are rolled back as part of Head Start.”
Spectrum News 1 reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees the Head Start program for comment. We did not immediately hear back.