This Head Start Awareness Month we have the chance to uplift and support the most important social and educational program for children, families, and communities the United States has ever undertaken. It has provided child care access and comprehensive services (like nutrition, developmental support and health care access) to more nearly 40 MILLION children and their families over the years.  

An impactful way YOU can support Head Start today is through submitting a public comment in support of the program by Tuesday, October 6th, 2026 on the Regulations.gov website.

It is absolutely NOT necessary to be a policy expert to submit a public comment! Any member of the public can submit their thoughts and views. If you are a parent, grandparent, family member, caregiver educator, Head Start alum, advocate or a community member who believes that Head Start matters and should be protected, it’s important for decisionmakers to hear your unique perspective and experience!

This blog post is here to help guide you through the comment submission process by providing tips, pointers and sample content that you can personalize to raise your voice for Head Start! 

BACKGROUND

What is happening with Head Start? Why is it in danger?

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy is proposing to eliminate most of the Head Start’s program’s standards, rolling back regulatory rules in a move that will further exacerbate our nation’s worsening child care crisis, while spelling disaster for the hundreds and thousands of children and families who rely on Head Start for care and so much more.

This is all part of the Trump administration’s ongoing, relentless efforts to follow through with the Project 2025 goal of fully abolishing this critical early education program, a program that has garnered strong bipartisan support for decades.

Programs like Head Start are more critical than ever, yet instead of addressing the ongoing child care affordability and accessibility crisis, Secretary Kennedy and the current administration are undermining Head Start by imposing proposed rule changes that would be devastating to the program. Click here to find out more about the proposed changes.  

These changes will harmfully:

• Reduce quality early learning, health, family engagement and leadership, and comprehensive support services to children and families.
• Worsen child care ratios by increasing classroom numbers.
• Reduce qualification and credential standards for teachers.
• Remove guidelines around supporting children with disabilities, who make up the required 10% Head Start enrollment for disabled populations.
• Heavily impact rural communities, where Head Start is often the only reliable early learning and child care program available to families. 

Tips and Guidance for Your Comment

Check out the simple template below to help you get started. When you submit a comment, it’s super important to personalize it by adding a few sentences about why Head Start matters to you, your family or your community, and/or your personal experience with the program or the personal experience of someone in your life.

Even a short, personal comment can make a difference! 

Sample Public Comment

Re: Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs (RIN: 0970-AD30)

 

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

 

I am a concerned member of our community and passionate advocate for children and families who is writing to urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to protect the Head Start Program Performance Standards and immediately withdraw the proposed rule.

 

[ADD 2–4 SENTENCES ABOUT WHY YOU SUPPORT HEAD START AND/OR WHY HEAD START MATTERS TO YOU]

 

Ideas on what to share:

• Share your personal experience with Head Start if you have one. Whether you have a child in your life currently enrolled in the program, or who was enrolled in the past, are a Head Start alum yourself, if you are a current or former Head Start educator, or if someone in your life has benefitted from this program, these are all great to share!

• If you have a personal story, share how Head Start has impacted you, your family or community.  

• Even if you don’t have a personal story, you can share why access to high-quality, affordable and accessible early learning is important to you. Either describe a specific experience or reason why you care about this issue.

• Why should decision makers care about supporting and protecting Head Start? 

 

Over the past 60 years, Head Start has delivered child care and comprehensive services to nearly 40 million children and counting, providing high-quality early education for our nation’s littlest learners so parents can work to support their families, while also facilitating important career opportunities for millions of child care workers.  

 

These proposed rule changes would significantly weaken the very foundation of Head Start by diminishing its ability to provide quality early learning, health services, family engagement services, and parent leadership opportunities that have boosted families for decades. These proposed changes threaten to increase classroom sizes, reduce teacher standards, and gut requirements supporting children with disabilities.  

 

I ask the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to protect this vital program by rescinding these proposed rollbacks and deregulations to Head Start.  

 

Our children and families need Head Start, thank you for considering my comments.

 

Sincerely,  

[YOUR NAME] 

Quick Notes

**Remember to submit your comment through Regulations.gov before the public comment deadline of October 6, 2026.**

Please submit all comments to HHS in English. If you need assistance with translation, please consider using Google Translate before submitting your document. Please email nadia@momsrising.org with questions or if you need further assistance with this.

How do I submit a comment?

Comment ready to go? Time to submit it! Submitting your comment is simple and only takes a few minutes.

1. Go to the comment submission page of the Regulations.gov website. (if you want to take a look at the language of the Head Start proposed rules, you can access them here).
2. Copy and paste your personalized comment into the comment box. You also have the option to upload your comment as a file if you choose.
3. Complete the required information by following the prompts to identify yourself and provide any other details needed for submission.
4. Review and submit: Take one last look at your comment. Make sure to proofread and ensure that all parts of your complete comments are included, then click “Submit Comment.”
5. Confirmation: After submitting, you’ll receive a Comment Tracking Number that you can save for your records.  

YOU DID IT! Thank you for taking the time to take this impactful action to support Head Start! Having as many people as possible sending in their thoughtful comments on why our families need Head Start sends a message to Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr and this administration that the future of our nation and its kids matter!

Do you know someone who would like to support and protect Head Start? Send them this blog post so they can also submit a comment before the October 6 deadline!  

Privacy Note: Comments submitted through Regulations.gov become part of the public record. Avoid including personal or confidential information that you would not want made publicly available.  

P.S. Did you share a Head Start story in your comments? If so, click here to share it with us at MomsRising so we can uplift it to decision makers in ongoing Head Start advocacy efforts! 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the proposed changes to the Head Start and how will are they a threat to the program?

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy is proposing deregulatory rule changes that will eliminate most of the program's standards, essentially dismantling this critical child care program.

How should public comments about Head Start on Regulations.gov be structured to be most impactful?

Follow the template guidance in this blog post on structuring a public comment about protecting Head Start. It is important to personalize it by adding a few sentences about why Head Start matters to you, your family or your community, and/or your personal experience with the program or the personal experience of someone in your life.

How is submitting a public comment about Head Start by the deadline of Tuesday, October 6th an impactful way to raise our voices to support Head Start?

Since October is Head Start Awareness Month, having as many people as possible submit comments on why kids need Head Start and why these rules must be rescinded sends a message to Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr and this administration that Head Start is crucial and needed for the future of our nation and its kids!