Community Action leader asks public to speak out against further cuts for Head Start

Editor:

Head Start is far more than preschool. It gives children a strong start through education, health and developmental screenings, nutrition, and family support services that are especially important in rural communities like ours. A proposed federal rule could weaken the standards and comprehensive approach that make Head Start effective.

The proposal would remove hundreds of requirements, permit larger classes and lower staffing levels, reduce wraparound services, and cut the administrative-cost cap from 15% to 5%. That may sound like reducing bureaucracy, but administration is how local programs pay for fiscal accountability, human resources, technology, compliance, facilities, and safety. For small and rural nonprofit agencies, a 5% cap could destabilize programs or force them to close.

Our community cannot afford further losses. Community Action of Orleans & Genesee is already managing a federally imposed $912,000 reduction that cost valued jobs and reduced available Head Start slots from 244 to 194. Weakening standards or cutting realistic administrative support would put even more children and families at risk.

I urge readers to review the information above and take action. You can access a helpful guide here: Help Protect Head Start – Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

Submit a public comment by October 6, 2026, at https://www.regulations.gov by searching docket ACF-2026-0595, or email Deregulation@acf.hhs.gov and include the docket number in the subject line. You may also contact your members of Congress, but only comments submitted directly to the Administration for Children and Families become part of the official rulemaking record.

Please speak from your own experience and tell federal officials what Head Start means to our children, families, and communities. This is our opportunity to protect a program that has changed lives for generations. Head Start should be strengthened, not diminished.

Renee Hungerford

Executive Director/CEO

Community Action of Orleans & Genesee