Central Pa. Head Start programs face major changes under Trump administration proposal

Proposed changes could increase class sizes, reduce operating hours and eliminate some family engagement requirements.

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  Katie Knol is WITF's General Assignment Reporter & Host.
  
  She graduated from Penn State University in 2024, earning bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science. She has also worked at WPSU, the News Lab at Penn State, The Daily Collegian and CommRadio.

Central Pennsylvania’s Head Start programs plan to continue providing early childhood education and other services to low-income families despite proposed changes from the Trump administration that could significantly reshape the federally funded program.

The proposed changes would cut down on bureaucracy and give states more control. They could also allow larger class sizes and higher child-to-teacher ratios, reduce the number of hours programs operate, change requirements for English-language instruction and cut the amount programs can spend on administration from 15% to 5%.

There is a required 60-day public comment period on the proposals, which started Aug. 6.

Head Start, which was launched more than 60 years ago, serves about 700,000 children nationwide. The Trump administration says the proposal would generate savings that could allow the program to serve 200,000 more, as reported by NPR.

Steven Barnett, founder and director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, said the federal government seems to consider Head Start a childcare program rather than an educational one.

“It’s pretty clear they expect programs to implement these,” Barnett said. “It undercuts Head Start’s ability to achieve its purpose, which is school readiness and breaking the cycle of poverty. It’s just not realistic.”

Before the proposed changes were announced, Shawnee Hooper, executive director of Capital Area Head Start, said her organization planned to maintain smaller class sizes and ratios because they believe they are better for children. 

Capital Area served over 1,000 children in the past year, and its classes have no more than 18 children and two teachers, she said. The proposed federal rule allows states to determine their own ratios.

“We at Capital Area Head Start will still run with what’s best for the children and families in that particular center of that particular classroom,” Hooper said. “I do not want to put anyone at jeopardy by having more children in the classroom, and it’s not successful for the children and safe for the children in that classroom.”

It’s unclear how the federal government would pressure organizations to comply with a higher ratio, Barnett said, but it could target funding or slow down application processes.

Beyond pre-kindergarten education, Head Start also provides health screenings, nutrition education, disability services, mental health support, and family connections. Hooper said they speak with parents about their goals and help achieve them. This includes stable housing, higher education, or job opportunities.

The proposed federal regulation would scrap these family engagement requirements, according to the Associated Press.

Hooper said Capital Area Head Start, like programs nationwide, struggles to recruit and retain educators.

“Addressing that workforce issue requires adequate and sustainable funding, especially with the rising costs programs have,” she said.

Cutting administrative costs from 15% to 5% and requiring teachers to care for and educate more students could further strain staffing challenges.

Cristina Rodriguez, whose oldest son was enrolled in Capital Area Head Start and starts kindergarten this month, said the proposed changes could turn the early educational program into a traditional daycare.

“They need as much education, as much attention, as much love poured into them,” she said. “The teachers aren’t only educating them — they’re pouring in, ‘Hey, I care about you. I care that you learn how to write your name. I care that you know your ABCs, I care that you know your numbers. I care about everything that you are interested in and want to grow in.’”

Her son’s experience at Head Start helped him develop his speech and emotional regulation, on top of reading and writing basics, Rodriguez said. 

She believes every child could benefit from the same experience.

“Taking away certain aspects of their curriculum or trying to make it as easy as possible to suit somebody else is not going to work,” she said. “It doesn’t work for me because the last thing I want is my kids to get the bare minimum when they get dropped off at Head Start.”