On June 26, 1:00-2:00pm ET, Patti Greenstein, Senior Consultant at Foundations for Families, will host a webinar, Responding to Federal Priorities, designed for Head Start/Early Head Start directors and managers interested in learning about federal priorities and how programs can respond. Attendees will learn practical ways to operationalize federal guidance, identify strategies to think proactively about program activities, and hear tips for leveraging resources and time.
We invite you to join us for this webinar free of charge, provided in-kind to grantees. Please register here. Participating Head Start/Early Head Start programs will receive documentation of an in-kind contribution of $275 upon completion of the webinar.
You might be wondering, why the focus on administrative priorities, and why now? We understand this year has brought challenges for Head Start programs, often without a clear picture of the longevity of Head Start and its place in the federal budget. Last month, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provided a statement on the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, an excerpt of which is provided below.
For Americans to be healthy, we must start when they are children. The President’s Budget recommends Head Start continue to receive funding equal to the FY 2025 Enacted level. In exchange, Head Start needs to be consistent with Administration priorities. This includes increasing parental choice; improving health, education, and employment outcomes; increasing program delivery efficiency; and promoting parental engagement. Head Start directly supports local-level institutions, including faith-based centers, empowering them to oversee care. Head Start also enables parents to find dignity in work when their children are enrolled in a safe and secure Head Start program.
The Secretary’s statement signals the likelihood of sustained investment in Head Start over the next program year. This is good news! A key part of this statement is that in return for the investment, “Head Start needs to be consistent with Administration priorities.” As Head Start programs prepare for the 2025-2026 program year, it’s good timing for understanding the Administration’s priorities; reflecting on how some priorities are already being met; and reviewing the changes that need to be made to ensure priorities are fully addressed and documented.
With a broad range of focus areas in the Secretary’s statement, it’s important to unpack it all. In our hour together, we’ll tease apart what’s already happening and what’s a change. What do programs need to do or implement differently? Or document differently?
While it seems like additional directions or monitoring guidance is likely forthcoming, there is already some information that can be used to prepare. The Secretary’s statement is certainly one piece. And, consider the recent Information Memorandum (IM) on Expanding Education Freedom and Opportunities for Families in Head Start Programs. The IM lays out some new expectations for Head Start programs. You might ask, how is our program already participating in efforts to support coordinated enrollment, and how are faith-based settings included? How are we engaging families to help improve the program model and promote family choice? Is what we’re doing enough? We’ll address these types of questions and much more!
We hope you’ll join us on June 26 when we present Responding to Federal Priorities. We’ll help you to prioritize and know where to focus your attention. Upon completing the webinar, if you think that a program-specific conversation would be helpful, we’d also be glad to schedule a follow-up technical assistance hour with you!
Thank you.
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