It is back to school season, and communities are buzzing with excitement for the year to come. Educational Service Unit 13 is proud to be the grantee for Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start throughout the central and southern panhandle of Nebraska for more than 10 years. Even before it was a part of ESU 13, Head Start has been an essential part of our communities for decades. We believe in the mission of Head Start programs to support children’s growth from birth to age 5 through services that support early learning and development, health, and family well-being.
Recently, there has been a lot of press relating to proposed changes in the Head Start Performance Standards. These are the standards that guide our teams as we implement the Head Start Act. The most important thing that we want you to know about these proposed changes is that Head Start’s doors are open today, and they will be open tomorrow. Families should keep enrolling because we will continue to serve children and their families. These proposed changes do not change the core promise of Head Start that children will be safe, healthy, and ready for school and that families can count on high-quality support wherever they live.
We appreciate consideration of reviewing the standards and removing requirements that consume staff time and add additional administrative burden without helping children. Additional time spent on teaching children and supporting families is always a preferable alternative to completing unnecessary paperwork and processes as long as it does not reduce the expectations of quality to those services.
As it stands, the national expectations included in the Head Start Performance Standards allow for local flexibility in designing and implementing a program that aligns with community strengths, resources and needs. The standards set a baseline of quality, safety, accountability and results. Any flexibility that is given needs to preserve or strengthen the core promise of Head Start, not reduce it.
The ESU 13 Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start programs often have a waiting list of families who are looking to enroll their children. We welcome the opportunity to serve more children and strengthen outcomes for all children in our programs. Serving more children would mean opening the Head Start promise to more children and families, which can only strengthen our communities. This expansion would also require additional resources to ensure that we are able to continue supporting the whole child.
The proposed changes are available for public comment through October 6, 2026. The Department of Health and Human Services will review comments before posting a final rule. As members of communities supported by Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start, it is our duty to ensure that any proposed changes would enhance the education provided and that the people who know Head Start best help shape what comes next to protect the promise that families count on. If you have any questions on how the changes would impact your local community, please contact your local Head Start program.