Day 10 of the 20-Day Public Comment Challenge: Coaching & the Child Development Specialist Role
Today’s Prompt:
The proposed changes would eliminate required coaching and the Child Development Specialist role. We want to show what these positions actually do for classrooms and families. If you’re a teacher or staff member: Walk us through what your coach does in a typical week, or describe one specific thing a coach helped you change in your teaching and what difference it made for the children. If you’re a parent: Tell us about a time a Child Development Specialist helped your child or your family. What was going on, what did they do, and what might have happened without that support?
The research on coaching is mixed, and that’s exactly why these roles should be studied before they’re cut, not after. Your examples help show what the data doesn’t capture.
Day 10 Prompts for the Action Alert
Staff: “I am [a coach / coached by a Child Development Specialist] at [program]. In a normal week, [describe]. [One specific thing a coach changed.]”
Parent: “I noticed [a classroom change] that my child’s teacher said came from coaching support.”
Community Partner: “As [title] at [organization], we [work with / take referrals shaped by] Head Start’s coaching and disability specialist positions for [describe].”
Where it says that: Coaching and Child Development Specialist requirements are at 45 CFR 1302.92. The proposed rule cuts both, and ACF has not evaluated Head Start’s coaching model before proposing to remove it.
This is one of 20 daily prompts. You don’t have to wait, browse them all and submit on any prompt that fits your situation, anytime between now and October 6. See the rest on the 20-Day Comment Challenge page.
Wondering how public comments help? Watch a 3-minute explainer
This short video walks through what the proposal would change, why it matters, and exactly how to submit a comment, even if you’ve never done this before.
How to leave an impactful comment
You don’t need to be a policy expert to submit a strong comment, and you don’t need to cover every issue in the proposal. In fact, a comment that focuses on one thing is often more powerful than one that tries to address everything.
- Focus on one area of the proposal you feel most passionate about.
- Add a short, real story about how that change would affect you, your child, or your classroom.
- Submit it before October 6, 2026.
Advocacy Is How Head Start Wins
Advocacy is central to WHSA’s mission. Whether it’s protecting funding, shaping policy, or making sure lawmakers hear directly from the people doing this work, your voice matters. Here’s how to get involved:
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View NPRM Resources from our friends at Together for Head Start
Together for Head Start has put together many resources on their linktr.ee/headstartnprm
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Complete WHSA's 2-part Action Alert
This Action Alert sends a message directly to your elected officials, and submits a comment! Two very impactful ways to speak up for Head Start, in one.
