Congressman Valadao Urges Administration to Protect Critical Central Valley Head Start Programs

WASHINGTON – Last week, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams regarding the recent Head Start Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). In his letter, he urged the administration to ensure that the final rule upholds current Head Start performance standards and gives fair consideration to public comments submitted by programs in CA-22. On August 7, 2026, HHS and ACF proposed a federal rule that would make significant changes to how Head Start programs operate in the Central Valley. This includes removing the nationwide Head Start standards, requiring English-only learning in classrooms, lowering the cap on federal funding for administrative expenses, and changing the staff-to-child classroom ratios in order to create more program flexibility, reduce red-tape, and ensure local and state decision-making. Despite these goals, the NPRM falls short of maintaining the program standards that have been central to Head Start’s success. “The proposed rulemaking would fundamentally reshape the nationwide Head Start program by eliminating performance standards that have been central to its success for decades. While the administration describes the proposal as an effort to modernize the program and provide greater flexibility to state and local leaders, it also creates significant uncertainty for the communities and families that rely on Head Start,” wrote Congressman Valadao. “Removing the performance standards would shift administrative burden onto already strained programs, requiring them to navigate a complex set of state and local regulations. Providers are concerned that removing clear performance standards could leave key requirements open to subjective interpretation, making it more difficult for programs to understand and meet federal expectations, potentially putting longstanding Head Start grants at risk.” While the proposed rule does have a process for programs seeking exemptions from certain requirements like the English-only provision and the administrative cost cap, there is no clear timeline for agency review and decision-making on waiver requests. This lack of clarity would force Head Start providers to operate with uncertainty for an unspecified amount of time while the federal government makes decisions that directly affect their ability to continue operations. In the letter, Congressman Valadao expressed support for modernizing the Head Start program to strengthen outcomes for children and parents. Congressman Valadao has been a strong supporter of Head Start throughout his time in Congress. He has visited several classrooms to see firsthand how the program invests in the success of Central Valley families and has consistently advocated for increased funding to support its work. Read the full letter here . ###