Your Comment Matters: Protecting Head Start Standards in Wisconsin

Head Start serves more than 12,000 children and families across Wisconsin every year, through 75 programs in communities big and small. Right now, a federal proposal could change the standards that keep those programs safe, high quality, and accountable, and the public has until October 6, 2026 to weigh in before it becomes final.

We’ve put together a short video and a step-by-step guide to help you understand what’s happening and make your voice heard. Both are below.

What’s happening

On August 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a proposed rule called “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs” (RIN 0970-AD30). It would eliminate most of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the federal rules that currently govern everything from classroom quality to health and safety.

This isn’t final yet. It’s open for public comment, and federal agencies are required to review and respond to public comments before writing a final rule. That means what you say, in your own words, can genuinely shape the outcome.

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.

Four areas worth knowing about

There’s a lot in this proposal, but here are four areas that tend to matter most to families and staff:

• Program hours — The proposal removes requirements for program hours, which could mean shorter and fewer classroom days.
• Class ratios — Programs would follow state child care licensing rules instead of Head Start’s own ratios, which could mean larger groups. HHS’s own estimate is a 16% increase in children per teacher.
• Quality teaching — Most training, coaching, and credential requirements for classroom staff would be removed.
• Health services — The proposal removes most requirements around developmental screenings, dental care, and follow-up treatment tracking.

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.

1. Focus on one area of the proposal you feel most passionate about.
2. Add a short, real story about how that change would affect you, your child, or your classroom.
3. Submit it before October 6, 2026.

Download: our one-page comment guide

Not sure where to start? We’ve put together a one-page guide with step-by-step instructions and sample comment starters for each of the four issue areas above, ready for you to personalize with your own experience.

Everything you need, including a direct link to the federal comment page, is also available in our Advocacy Linktree.

Questions?

If you have questions about the proposal or how to take action, reach out to us at WHSA, or connect with your own state’s Head Start association if you’re outside Wisconsin.

Thank you for standing up for Head Start.