This is Trump & Co. second try at limiting the program
That effects up to a million children…
First time did NOT work….
The Trump administration is moving ahead with big changes to Head Start — the federal early childhood education program that serves low-income families — to the outcry of advocates who say the proposals will limit access to the program, which currently serves 700,000 students.
Interested parties have until Tuesday to submit their thoughts to the federal government on how the changes would affect the 17,000 Head Start centers nationwide. The government says it will then review the public’s comments and decide how to move forward with the proposal.
The tens of thousands of public comments made so far detail how advocates say the move will reduce support for parents, create bigger class sizes and push the kids who need Head Start the most — such as those experiencing homelessness — out of the classrooms.
The Trump administration said the new rules could add 236,000 new spots for Head Start and ultimately save $2.2 billion from its $12 billion budget.
The shift would require Head Start programs to follow their state’s rules regarding class sizes, education requirements, background checks and transportation practices — reducing cost and oversight at the federal level. Many of the services Head Start requires would become optional, including helping parents navigate Medicaid and mandatory parent-teacher conferences twice a year.
It would also require Head Start programs to be conducted entirely in English, even though a third of the children enrolled in it speak another language at home, according to The Associated Press….
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“In some states, you wouldn’t see a huge change because their state licensing regulations are pretty close to what the Head Start guidelines are federally. In other states, specifically more southern states, you could see quite a few more children in the classrooms with the same number of staff, which brings up all sorts of concerns — not just the quality of the education, but even just overall health and safety of the children,” Loewenberg said.
Head Start is also intended to assist low-income parents, not just their children. It has helped parents find housing, employment and food assistance, as well as creating plans for children with disabilities and encouraging parents to actively participate in leadership roles in their local programs…..
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The Trump administration has targeted Head Start before, including reportedly drafting a budget to eliminate it entirely, as well as attempting to block children of immigrants lacking permanent legal status from the program — a move that was struck down by the courts.
While the administration says the latest changes are to increase flexibility, advocates argue flexibility for Head Start will be reduced if the allowance for administrative costs goes from 15 percent to 5 percent.
image….Today’s Child
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