H.R. 5774 — Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings on the Head Start program, including its establishment in 1965 to enhance eligible children's cognitive, social, and emotional development; its broad bipartisan support due to service in every congressional district; and the comprehensive learning environment and family services (e.g., health, nutritional, social) it provides based on needs assessments.

This section establishes the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including a central office and 12 regional offices (regions I-X in the 10 ACF geographical regions, region XI for American Indian and Alaska Native grants, and region XII for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start grants), as they operated immediately before January 20, 2025. (As background, Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children and families.) The section requires the Office to (1) reinstate or retain its pre-January 20, 2025, internal organizational structure and functions (including overall direction, policy, budget planning, administration, and oversight of Head Start programs); (2) maintain full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing levels not less than those in place immediately before January 20, 2025; and (3) organize each regional office under a Regional Program Manager reporting to the Director of the Program Operations Division, with pre-January 20, 2025, functions (including funding administration, oversight, monitoring, training and technical assistance for grantees, state collaboration grants, and liaison roles) and FTE levels. The section prohibits the HHS Secretary from (1) modifying the Office's structure, functions, or responsibilities, including in the central and regional offices; or (2) reducing established FTE levels, subject to the availability of funds. Before submitting to the President any plan proposing such prohibited actions, the Secretary must notify the House Committee on Education and Workforce and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions at least 60 days in advance and publicly release the plan, a supporting justification, and an explanation of impacts on Head Start agencies. (Thus, the provision codifies and protects the Office's pre-January 20, 2025, structure and staffing against future changes.)