Restoring Flexibility To Support Head Start Program Access

What it does

In this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposes to remove requirements from the Head Start Program Performance Standards (Performance Standards) to restore local flexibility to Head Start programs and improve access to quality services. Specifically, this NPRM proposes to remove requirements related to wages and benefits that the Administration believes are not in line with the plain language of the Head Start Act and are costly and overly prescriptive for Head Start programs and staff. ACF estimates these proposed changes, if finalized, will result in over $2 billion in future cost savings for Head Start programs. The proposed rescissions in this NPRM, if finalized, would impact the costliest parts of the final rule published by the Office of Head Start (OHS) in 2024, Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming.\1\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Children and Families Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What it would change

1 part of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

45 CFR 1302

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 0970-AD21 since Jan. 1, 2025.

What happens next and when

Consideration will be given to comments received on or before June 11, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Reginfo.gov lists a rule with this regulation identifier as under review at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs since Sept. 10, 2026 (stage: Final Rule). See it

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket ACF-2026-0364 on Regulations.gov
• Title 45 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register