1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent to express my urgent opposition to proposed regulatory changes aimed at dismantling Head Start’s foundational performance standards. Child care policy expert Ruth Friedman, who helped craft the bipartisan 2007 legislation updating the program, accurately described these proposed changes as a "massive gutting" of Head Start. This is a backdoor approach to eliminating a program that has proven its value across generations. Eliminating performance standards strips away the very science-backed benchmarks that ensure our youngest learners arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed. Head Start currently serves nearly 700,000 children under six, providing critical early education, health, and family support services that prepare low-income children for lifelong success. Head Start has earned strong bipartisan support for decades. President Ronald Reagan expanded its budget beyond $1 billion, President George W. Bush signed landmark legislation to modernize it, and President Trump increased its funding by $900 million during his first term. I strongly urge you to protect Head Start’s quality standards, defend early childhood education, and reject any administrative effort to weaken this vital program.