The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Thursday proposed sweeping rule changes that would deregulate Head Start early childcare programs across the country, allow states to set child-to-staff ratios and require providers to teach in English.

The director of the Idaho Head Start Association Friday morning said the proposal is problematic and could undermine the mission of Head Start: to uplift families out of poverty.

“Across the board, across all the states and territories, the people who are the boots on the ground don’t like this and don’t feel like it creates efficiencies and makes things easier,” Executive Director Megan Woller told EdNews by phone. “They think it makes things even more difficult to operate a program that is already underfunded.”

The rules are not yet in effect. The federal government will receive public comment for 60 days before taking action. Woller said the nonprofit will probably make a comment as a unified voice among Idaho’s 13 grantees that operate about 80 Head Start centers in all but five counties.

“We don’t want any Idahoans to be alarmed or parents to think that this change happens right now,” she said.

The most jarring provision, Woller said, addresses language.

According to the 75-page proposal added to the federal register Friday, the rule change would require programs to “conduct all education to children in English” but includes an exemption for Indian Head Start agencies as long as the language spoken “relates to the furtherance of tribal heritage.”

There is no exemption, however, for teaching in Spanish. If a child cannot speak English, the proposal requires programs to “prioritize teaching English to the child.”

One Idaho grantee, the Community Council of Idaho, operates several Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs that can include instruction in English and Spanish. Woller said these migrant and seasonal programs can help promote trust within communities by engaging with parents who may not speak English.

Ruben Lugo, the Community Council of Idaho’s chief operating officer, told EdNews Friday that the council hasn’t fully reviewed the proposal and can’t comment yet.

“The Office of Head Start Director was just in Idaho last month and we had an opportunity to meet with her, where we discussed the uniqueness of our program service model,” Lugo wrote in an email. “We anticipate keeping that conversation/communication going as we move forward.”

Another provision addresses requirements for hearing and vision screenings.

Head Start performance standards require providers to conduct vision screenings for kids within 45 days of their first day. Without these screenings,  some kids might not realize they need glasses for years, Woller said.

“In Idaho, we have a goal for early literacy, and if we remove vision services for our most vulnerable children, that certainly doesn’t help Idaho’s reading scores,” she said.

It’s not immediately clear if Head Start providers would still be required to conduct these screenings under the proposed rule change.

While the proposal would “no longer specify” that Head Start providers must conduct hearing and vision screenings, the requirement will still apply due to “statutory requirements.” The proposal says providers would have more flexibility on timeline and process to ensure screenings are completed.

Giving authority to states

The draft rule changes would eliminate some federal regulations and allow states to set their own guidelines on group sizes, child-to-staff ratios, background checks and transportation practices.

The Legislature last year passed House Bill 243, which deregulated childcare and reduced requirements for child-to-staff ratios. Woller said this bill was “problematic” to early childcare stakeholders, who opposed reducing ratios out of concerns for safety of infants and children.

“We want to keep infants and children safe, and the Head Start standard currently is at a ratio that is safe,” Woller said.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the proposed rule changes would remove unnecessary bureaucracy and return the program back to its roots.

“Head Start began as a bold commitment to the health, dignity, and potential of every child,” Kennedy stated in a press release. “My uncle, Sarge Shriver, founded the program on a simple conviction: strong families, wholesome nutrition, and healthy childhood development can change the course of a child’s life.”

“The people who are the boots on the ground in the programs who have been working there, whether it’s been five years or 40 years, agree that this would actually increase their burden,” she said.