As Trump slashes Head Start rules, some Republicans are wary
The Trump administration is pursuing a broad deregulation of the Head Start preschool program, including removing requirements for disability screenings and class size limits. The move has faced bipartisan pushback from Republican senators concerned about the impact on child safety and health.
Why it matters
Head Start is a critical social program for low-income families; the proposed changes represent a significant shift in federal education and social policy.
Hear this story WASHINGTON ‒ The Trump administration's drastic deregulation of Head Start , a preschool and child care program that's helped tens of millions of low-income kids, is generating bipartisan pushback in Congress ‒ including from members within the president’s own party.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Aug. 5 that his agency is pursuing a sweeping rollback of much of the more than 100 pages of federal rules governing the multibillion-dollar program.
Among the items on the chopping block are requirements to conduct screenings for kids with disabilities, keep class sizes small, help children brush their teeth daily and mandate monitors on school buses. Pay parity rules for staff and a ban on expelling students would go by the wayside, too.
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