Emphasizing how destructive he believes the Trump administration’s latest proposal is to the quality and safety of Head Start programs, Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter Wednesday to administration officials urging them to rescind proposed changes that he believes would roll back the program’s performance standards.
The letter was addressed to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams.
Among the proposed changes are the elimination of a directive to keep instructor-to-child ratios small and requirements for serving kids with disabilities and multilingual learners.
Head Start programs offer early learning, health and family support services to approximately 700,000 children nationwide.
In Wisconsin, there are 42 Head Start and Early Head Start programs that last year served more than 8,000 preschool-age kids, 4,000 infants and toddlers, and nearly 300 pregnant women.
In his letter to the Trump administration, Evers highlighted the role Head Start plays in early childhood development.
“In Wisconsin, we believe that what’s best for kids is what’s best for our state,” Evers wrote. “Head Start provides critical support during a kid’s earliest years, a time when their brains are forming more connections per second than at any other point in life and setting the stage for future success in school, work, and life.
“Eviscerating the standards and protections that have been the backbone of Head Start for decades won’t expand access to the quality experiences, positive interactions, and support kids need to thrive.”
