FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2026
Idaho Head Start Association Opposes Federal Proposal That Would Subvert Head Start Program Standards
BOISE, IDAHO — Following today's release of a federal proposal to eliminate most of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the Idaho Head Start Association (IHSA) is shedding light on how the rule would remove the protections that have made Head Start one of the nation's most successful investments in young children and families.
For more than 60 years, Head Start has paired early learning with health, developmental, and family support services that prepare children for school and strengthen families.
The proposal would:
Eliminate Head Start-specific classroom ratios and group size requirements; Idaho passed HB243 last year which reduced child-to-staff ratios in childcare settings, despite strong opposition from stakeholders. The proposal would eliminate Head Start’s standard for safe classroom ratios and group size. The quality controls and safety requirements Head Start has implemented for decades is a large part of why parents and communities trust the program to keep their children safe while they learn.
Eliminate key requirements for serving children with disabilities and multilingual learners, threatening their ability to access the services and support that help them fully participate and succeed; Idaho's largest Head Start program is our Migrant and Seasonal program that works with the families helping our agricultural industry flourish. The flexibility to provide services in Spanish and English promotes parental participation and builds trust.
Decrease parent governance and engagement requirements, leaving families out of decisions about their program; Idahoans share the value of parents being regarded as their child’s first and most important teacher, which the current Head Start Performance Standards upholds.
Eliminate standards for educational quality, child development, child safety, and family services such as infant and maternal health, weakening protections for some of the country's youngest and most vulnerable children; Head Start is so much more than early childhood education, it’s a gateway to a life of better health, educational, and socioeconomic outcomes. Many kids find out they need glasses in Head Start. If the vision services are removed, those same kids might not know they need glasses until years later. That doesn’t improve reading scores in Idaho where early literacy is a common goal of Head Start and Idaho’s public education leaders.
Put access to Head Start at risk for families in rural and under resourced communities, where Head Start is often one of or the only sources of high-quality early learning and family support services available. Most of Idaho is rural. Some families already travel 30 minutes or more to get to their Head Start center. When a Head Start center closes down due to insufficient operational funding, communities and economies feel it. This was evident in January 2025 when the Trump administration froze federal grants, almost leaving 125 Idahoans across nine rural towns without a paycheck and 465 families without their early learning and childcare center.
We are also concerned that the proposed rule removes many of the evidence-based standards that justify federal investment in the program, and we look forward to working with members of Congress to advocate for continued quality and ongoing investment in Head Start.
Megan Woller, executive director of IHSA said, “Thorough quality control should not be conflated with bureaucratic red tape, especially when it comes to the well-being of infants and children, and especially when the boots on the ground staff and parents argue it would INCREASE their administrative burden. Shared with me, have been success story after success story of Idaho parents who were empowered by Head Start to set family and personal goals, and to be involved in the governance of their child’s Head Start program. Kindergarten teachers in Idaho have reported observing stronger school readiness levels among Head Start graduates as compared to similar children who did not attend the program. IHSA looks forward to collaborating with ACF to keep the Head Start promise in this pivotal time."
In Idaho, thirteen Head Start grantees operate centers and home-based programming statewide, in nearly all counties, making it thoroughly embedded into Idaho’s communities and economy. Decades of research show that Head Start improves school readiness, strengthens families, and creates lasting benefits for children and communities.
The proposal is now open for public comment. Current Head Start standards remain in effect, and local programs should continue operating under existing requirements while the federal rulemaking process moves forward.
IHSA encourages parents, educators, community members, and all Head Start supporters to make their voices heard through the federal public comment process.
"Head Start connected me to community resources I may not have otherwise found, and to other parents that were working to improve their lives and help their children grow" said Hilary Gertiz, IHSA Board Member and former Head Start mother.
About the Idaho Head Start Association
The IHSA is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to support Idaho’s Head Start programs through professional development, awards and recognition, partnerships and collaboration, and advocacy.
Media Contact
Megan Woller
Executive Director
208-345-1182
mwoller@idahohsa.org
Pictured: Head Start student practicing how to brush teeth
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