Take Action: Protect Head Start From Being Eliminated

Head Start plays a critical role in supporting the healthy development of children living in poverty while also helping parents seek employment and educational opportunities that afford them a better shot at gaining a foothold in America’s middle class. To date, Head Start has served nearly 40 million children; and in the past year alone, Head Start served more than 790,000 children, including nearly 556,000 preschool children and more than 235,000 infants and toddlers.

Despite strong evidence that the program has helped boost educational attainment and fight intergenerational poverty, the White House budget for fiscal year 2026 is expected to propose eliminating Head Start funding. Cutting Head Start would vastly restrict the number of available child care slots—especially in rural communities—while dramatically increasing child care costs for families living in poverty, as well as undermining economic growth and exacerbating inequality.

Tell your lawmakers to protect Head Start from being eliminated by the White House.