Illinois Head Start Association opposes proposed rollback of federal standards

Published 12:16 pm Saturday, August 8, 2026

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Head Start Association is speaking out against a proposed federal rule that would revise the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the framework governing safety, staffing, and service requirements for Head Start programs nationwide.

The association argues the proposal would weaken decades of research-based protections that it says have helped keep children safe and ready to learn, calling it the latest in a series of federal actions affecting the program, including previous proposals to reduce Head Start’s budget and cut federal oversight staff. The Trump administration has described the proposed rule change differently, characterizing it as an effort to increase flexibility for local programs and reduce administrative burden.

Head Start has operated for more than 60 years, combining early learning with health care, developmental screenings, meals, mental health support, family engagement, and services for children with disabilities. The performance standards set minimum requirements that federally funded programs must meet in each of those areas.

According to the association, the proposed rule would ease or eliminate several current requirements, including science-based standards for educational quality, child safety, health, mental health, dental care, and developmental screenings; teacher-child ratio and classroom size limits; screening and service requirements for pregnant women, infants, and toddlers; protections for children with disabilities; and parent governance and engagement requirements. The association also said the proposal would impose new administrative cost caps on local programs and could widen gaps in child care access in rural and underserved areas where Head Start is often the only comprehensive early childhood program available.

“This proposal doesn’t modernize Head Start — it dismantles the very standards that have made it one of the most successful early childhood programs in America,” Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, the association’s executive director, said in a statement. “It means larger class sizes with fewer teachers. Fewer health and developmental screenings to identify concerns before they become lifelong challenges. Less support for children with disabilities. Parents pushed out of decisions about their own children’s programs. Administrative cost caps that will force local programs to reduce staff or serve fewer children. These aren’t technical changes — they are the safeguards that keep Head Start safe, effective, and accountable. Illinois families deserve stronger investments in children, not weaker protections.”

In Illinois, Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve more than 28,000 children and families through 51 local grantees operating in all 102 of the state’s counties, according to the association.

Rachael DeSpain, Head Start director for the Tri County Opportunities Council, said the program’s comprehensive structure is central to its effectiveness. “Children don’t thrive because they receive one service — they thrive because Head Start meets families where they are and supports every aspect of a child’s development,” DeSpain said. “Weakening these standards puts that promise at risk.”

Samantha Jolliff, identified by the association as a parent leader, said the program serves as more than child care. “Head Start has never been just another child care program,” Jolliff said. “It is a lifeline for families and a cornerstone of our communities. At a time when families are struggling to find affordable, high-quality child care, we should be expanding opportunity — not weakening one of the programs that has delivered results for children and families for more than six decades.”

The proposed rule is currently open for public comment, and the current Head Start Program Performance Standards remain in effect while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers whether to finalize the change. The Illinois Head Start Association is urging parents, educators, health care providers, business leaders, elected officials, and other community members to submit public comments opposing the proposal.

The Illinois Head Start Association provides advocacy, professional development, technical assistance, and leadership support for Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the state.