Policies & Analysis

A coalition of Head Start associations and parent groups challenged the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Head Start, a program Congress created in 1965 to provide free, high-quality early education and childcare to low-income families. The administration’s budget proposes eliminating Head Start by the end of fiscal year 2025, and federal agencies have already withheld nearly $1 billion in funding compared to the previous year. Plaintiffs argue that the administration has taken unlawful steps to eliminate the program, including by freezing funds nationwide, issuing guidance that penalizes grantees for diversity and inclusion initiatives, and amending grant terms to require certifications that agencies will not promote DEI programming. The Trump administration also shuttered half of the Office of Head Start’s regional offices, leaving agencies in 23 states without essential oversight or funding support. These disruptions have already forced providers to suspend services and displace children and staff. Plaintiffs argue these actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act, the Spending Clause, the separation of powers, Congressional Appropriations, the Head Start Act, and the Rehabilitation Act by attempting to eliminate a congressionally mandated program without authorization. They also contend that the DEI restrictions are unconstitutionally vague and unlawfully suppress speech.