Early Head Start/Head Start
Head Start is a federal program that delivers comprehensive early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services to lowest-income families with young children who are experiencing poverty. Head Start Preschool serves children ages 3 through 5 and Early Head Start serves infants and toddlers under age 3, pregnant women, and their families.
Serving nearly 40 million children since its founding in 1965, decades of research shows that participation in Head Start has both short- and long-term positive effects. Children who attend Head Start demonstrate marked academic and social progress, and are more likely to enter kindergarten ready to learn.
The program promotes children’s development and supports parents in their role as children’s first teachers and primary caregivers through a variety of services, including home visiting; parent engagement and support; high-quality child care; and nutrition, health, and behavioral health services.
Current
Status
Current Funding Level: Head Start is funded at $12.36 billion (one appropriation for both programs) for FY2026.
- June 9th: The House Appropriations Committee approved the Labor-H bill with its proposed increase for Early Head Start/Head Start.
- June 4: The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) Appropriations Subcommittee released its FY2027 funding proposal, proposing a $10 million increase for Early Head Start/Head Start.
- May 12: Restoring Flexibility to Support Head Start Program Access and Quality is published. Read FFYF’s “State of Play” here.
- May 11: As part of a “Child Care Reform Package”, the Administration issued a Head Start Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).
- April 3: White House budget released with proposed level funding for Early Head Start/Head start
- March 25: The child care and early learning community sends Congressional appropriators a Community Letter calling for increased funding in FY27
- March 25: Deadline for House Dear Colleague letters in support of FY27 child care and early learning funding.
- What’s Next:
- September 30: End of the Fiscal Year. Congress must pass a spending package by midnight, a temporary “Continuing Resolution” to buy more time to pass a package, or face a government shutdown.
- Floor vote on House Labor-H proposal
- Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee releases its proposal.
- September 30: End of the Fiscal Year. Congress must pass a spending package by midnight, a temporary “Continuing Resolution” to buy more time to pass a package, or face a government shutdown.
Essential
Reading
Media
$4.3M in federal funding announced to expand early head start child care programs in Quad Cities
WQAD | March 12, 2026
Sioux Falls Head Start program reports strong gains in kindergarten readiness
Sioux Falls Live | January 13, 2026
Audubon Head Start program exceeds federal quality benchmarks across Western Kentucky
The Owensboro Times | March 13, 2026
Head Start encourages reading in families
Wellsboro Gazette | December 11, 2025
Here’s what to know about the federal early learning Head Start program
K-12 Dive | December 8, 2025
What I learned about Head Start in rural America
Hechinger Report | September 24, 2025
