WASHINGTON – A coalition of public service unions, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) urged the Trump administration today to withdraw its proposed rule to deregulate Head Start.
They warned that eliminating hundreds of regulations that set critical safety, quality, and other standards will have a detrimental impact on children and families and threaten the jobs of 40,000 Head Start workers. The proposal will also increase the workload and job stress by adding children to the classroom while removing supports like coaching, failing to raise wages for family child care providers and other positions, and removing requirements for staff breaks.
“Head Start provides hundreds of thousands of low-income children with the education, nutrition and access to health care they need to succeed and live healthy, successful lives. Many AFSCME members have proudly dedicated their careers to providing these essential services. This Trump administration proposal to eliminate Head Start standards is a direct attack on their well-being that will negatively impact our communities,” said AFSCME President Patrick Moran. “This is all part of a cruel plan to break the program so it can be eliminated entirely, an explicit goal of Project 2025. We must protect our kids’ futures by protecting Head Start. We urge the administration to abandon this reckless plan.”
“Head Start works because our nation made a commitment to prioritize high-quality early learning for all children across race, place, background, and ability,” said Princess Moss, president of the National Education Association. “The Trump administration’s proposal to reduce ‘the federal burden for Head Start Programs’ will break that commitment and replace strong national Head Start standards with a patchwork of state requirements that vary widely in quality. This change can result in larger class sizes with fewer educators in classrooms, less-qualified program staff, weaker protections and supports for children with disabilities, and fewer guarantees that families will be meaningful partners in their children’s education.”
“For nearly six decades, Head Start has given kids from low-income families a genuine shot at success. The name isn’t accidental. Head Start equips kids with tools to stay on track, and get ahead, right from the beginning of their learning journey in a secure, nurturing environment. The Trump administration doesn’t seem to share these priorities. They tried to kill Head Start outright once already, and parents, providers and Congress said no. So, now they’re trying another tactic: Set the program up for failure by diluting standards, capping what programs can spend on staff, burying providers in pointless paperwork and then using these self-inflicted wounds to justify another round of cuts. We will stand with our members and fight in Congress, in the courts and the court of public opinion until the promise of Head Start is fully restored.” said Randi Weingarten, president of AFT
“Head Start is meant to help children from low-income households prepare for the future. This vital early education program has provided generations of Americans with the educational, nutritional and social and emotional support they need to thrive. Dismantling the program is another attack on working families. We stand with families, communities and our union siblings in condemning this proposed action by the administration,” said Leslie Frane, SEIU executive vice president.