Statement on proposed Head Start deregulation from NIEER Director Steven Barnett

On August 6, 2026, the Trump Administration proposed sweeping changes to the Head Start program. The Department of Health and Human Services proposal rolls back most of the regulations currently governing Head Start and defaults others to states’ basic childcare licensing standards rather than what research indicates is needed to produce the best outcomes.

Below please find a statement from Dr. Steven Barnett, the founder and director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. Barnett is also available for a nonpartisan reaction and review of the proposed changes.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Statement on proposed Head Start deregulation from Steven Barnett, the founder and senior director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University:
 

“The Trump Administration’s proposal to remove 80% of Head Start regulations could undermine the program’s ability to fulfill its purpose of improving the school readiness of children in poverty.

"Among the most important targets of the proposed deregulations are the elimination of child-staff ratios, which could lead to higher child to teacher ratios, double or even triple for infants and toddlers in some Head Start programs.

"Low child-staff ratios are linked to better school readiness.  The most comprehensive research reveals that success depends on individualized teaching 1:1 and in small groups. That is why our Institute recommends no more than 1:10 as a staff:child ratio among 10 research-based preschool quality standards, and why Head Start and most state-funded pre-K programs mandate lower child-staff ratios than child care licensing standards.

"Also of concern are the reduction in required hours of instruction to just 3 hours per day for 128 days a year and a new requirement for English-only instruction. Fewer hours make it even more difficult to individualize instruction.  Limiting instruction to English has no advantage for learning English and increases loss of home language, while dual language fluency has cognitive, social, and economic advantages.

"While reductions in federal micromanagement of Head Start have long been needed, the program should align with the best state pre-K standards rather than defaulting to states’ child care licensing minimums as the administration proposes. Whether public or private, high-quality pre-K programs have been found to produce large improvements in school readiness and success, educational attainment, and adult earnings."

The National Institute for Early Education Research at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, New Brunswick, NJ, supports early childhood education policy and practice through independent, objective research and the translation of research to policy and practice.