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The Trump administration on Thursday announced a proposed overhaul of the federal Head Start program that would give states more control over preschool standards and could reduce administrative costs by an estimated $2.2 billion.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says the proposed changes could preserve or create up to 236,000 Head Start slots. The proposal would remove several federal mandates and emphasize parents as a child’s “primary teachers.” It would also establish new nutrition and physical fitness guidelines.
“Head Start began as a bold commitment to the health, dignity, and potential of every child. My uncle, Sarge Shriver, founded the program on a simple conviction: strong families, wholesome nutrition, and healthy childhood development can change the course of a child’s life,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivers remarks during an event at HHS headquarters on Aug. 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The event highlighted actions aimed at improving the nation’s food supply and advancing the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“Today, we are returning Head Start to those roots,” he added. “We are removing unnecessary bureaucracy, strengthening nutrition and physical health, trusting parents and local communities, and opening Head Start to hundreds of thousands more children. That’s how we renew the promise of Head Start for the next generation.”
Head Start, established in 1965, helps low-income children prepare for school and serves them from birth to age five. It provides early education, health screenings, healthy meals and other services. The administration says the overhaul aims to reverse recent enrollment declines under the Biden administration.
The proposed changes would restructure parent committees that advise on curriculum and policy. They would also require whole, nutrient-dense foods and set daily physical activity standards. HHS says the proposal would cap administrative spending, generating an estimated $2.2 billion in savings that the department says could preserve or create up to 236,000 slots.
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U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 12, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Conservative parent advocates are praising the proposed changes, saying they would reduce federal bureaucracy and give parents more control. Moms for Liberty CEO Tina Descovich told Fox News Digital that the group supports the administration’s approach.
“We are excited to see every opportunity that parents are put in the driver’s seat of their children’s education and in all aspects of their life,” Descovich said.
Descovich previously served on the board of a Head Start program in Brevard County, Florida. She said Moms for Liberty is “pleased” with the proposed changes and hopes they encourage parents to have “lifelong engagement in their child’s education.”
She added that the group supports the proposed nutrition and physical activity changes, calling Moms for Liberty members some of the “original MAHA moms in the country,” referring to mothers who support the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” policies.
“We want our children eating healthy food. We support the work that Secretary Kennedy is doing in his role to clean up the food system,” she said. Descovich also expressed support for Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and said Moms for Liberty is “thrilled with what’s happening to help make our children more healthy.”
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Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich speaks during the 2024 Joyful Warriors National Summit on Aug. 30, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Some education advocates and Democratic lawmakers argue that giving states more control over class sizes and teacher qualifications could weaken Head Start standards and lead to larger classes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has also criticized the proposal for removing federal health screening, math and literacy requirements.
“Trump is planning to gut Head Start — a devastating blow to our most vulnerable families,” Schumer wrote in an Aug. 4 post on X. “That means no math or literacy requirements, no health & safety screenings, no guarantee children can access medical services. He doesn’t give a damn. He thinks the government exists to serve only him.”
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But Descovich argued that concerns about allowing states to set their own standards are “nonsense.” “States have been and are in charge of education K through 12 and beyond. And there is no reason that they shouldn’t be taking the Head Start program under their umbrella,” she said.
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