A draft preliminary 2026 federal budget by the Trump administration that is expected to be sent to Congress would eliminate Head Start. In fact, according to K-12 Dive, Head Start is among other initiatives targeted for termination that support low-income families and children — including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) — under the preliminary budget document for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Project 2025 — a blueprint for the current Republican administration issued during the presidential campaign by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank — recommended zeroing out the program. While some conservatives have called Head Start ineffective, supporters point to academic, social, and economic benefits.

Head Start which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in May, serves nearly 800,000 infants, toddlers and preschool children from families with low incomes. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study has shown that “although the differential benefits of Head Start for high-risk children are limited, nonetheless children enrolled should continue to receive services as, on average, the program boosts pre-academic skills and reduces problem behavior.”

Once it receives the proposed budget, Congress will debate the recommended allocations before sending appropriations bills to the president for signature. The federal fiscal year starts October 1, 2025.

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