Maryland AG Joins Multi-State Effort to Shield Head Start Program From Proposed Regulatory Cuts

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown is among a coalition of 23 state attorneys general and the governor of Kentucky who have formally opposed proposed regulatory changes that could significantly weaken the federal Head Start program. The coalition submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expressing strong objections to a rule that would reduce protections and services for children from low-income backgrounds.

The proposed rule, as detailed by the Maryland Attorney General’s office, aims to dismantle established Head Start Program Performance Standards, which have been developed over decades and are backed by evidence. Key provisions under threat include an “English-only” mandate and a reduction in the allowable cap for administrative and development costs. This cap would be lowered from 15 percent to 5 percent, a change critics argue would create substantial hurdles for program operations and potentially limit access to services. Furthermore, the proposed changes would introduce other demanding requirements that, according to the coalition, could hinder children’s ability to learn and prepare for academic success.

For over 60 years, Head Start has enjoyed bipartisan backing as a vital resource for early childhood education. The program is designed to interrupt cycles of poverty by offering comprehensive support, addressing the emotional, social, health, nutritional, and educational needs of young children from disadvantaged families. In Maryland alone, Head Start and Early Head Start initiatives served more than 7,000 children and nearly 100 pregnant individuals in both 2024 and 2025. These services are particularly crucial for children who face barriers to accessing quality early education, including those with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, migrant children, English language learners, and those from low-income households. The program plays a critical role in addressing the national childcare gap, which leaves an estimated 28.2 percent of children in need without access to care within a reasonable distance.

The proposed federal rollback would eliminate over 1,400 existing regulations intended to safeguard enrolled children, pregnant individuals, and their families, potentially disrupting the entire nationwide system of care. Specific protections at risk include requirements for early support and coordination for children with disabilities, adherence to maximum child-to-staff ratios, established safety standards and safe transportation practices, the presence of parent committees, and mandates for staff credentialing and training. The rule also proposes to remove research-based timelines for health, developmental, and vision screenings, as well as minimum hours of service, the prohibition of expulsions, limits on suspensions, and the current ability of families to self-attest to eligibility.

While the Department of Health and Human Services has framed the proposed rule as a move to return discretion to states and allow programs to adapt to local conditions, the coalition contends it would actually foster significant disparities in early childhood education across states. The attorneys general and governor argue that the changes would impose a considerable increase in workload and costs for state agencies. HHS itself has acknowledged that the rule could result in larger class sizes, a reduction in teachers, coaches, and home visitors, shorter program days, and diminished health, dental, and mental health services. These outcomes, they warn, would likely lead to poorer educational results for children and place additional strain on public health and welfare systems at the state level. The proposed cap on administrative costs, in particular, could make it more difficult for organizations to become and remain Head Start providers, thereby reducing the availability of these essential services for children in Maryland and across the nation. Moreover, several aspects of the proposed rule would grant undefined discretion to HHS, potentially exposing Head Start programs to politically motivated actions by the federal administration.

The attorneys general who joined Maryland’s Attorney General Brown in submitting the comment letter include those from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.

Video Spotlight