HHS Proposes Head Start Reforms That Would Cut Administrative Spending Cap From 15% To 5%

On August 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposed changes to the federal Head Start Program Performance Standards. The proposed rule would revise requirements related to administrative spending, staffing, class sizes, health services, home visits, parent engagement, and other program operations while giving states and local Head Start programs greater flexibility. HHS estimates that the changes could preserve or create as many as 236,000 Head Start slots nationwide and generate $2.2 billion in savings for reinvestment in direct services.

Head Start is a . . .