H.R. 7637 — Head Start for America’s Children Act

This section revises the purpose statement of the Head Start Act (authorizing the Head Start program, which promotes school readiness for low-income children through early education and family support services) by (1) specifying support for the growth of infants, toddlers, and children (previously, children's growth); and (2) expanding services provided to low-income infants, toddlers, children, and their families (previously, children and their families) to explicitly include mental health services (in addition to health, educational, nutritional, social, and other services).

This section revises several definitions in sec. 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832)—which provides comprehensive early childhood development, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families—as follows: (1) expands "full calendar year" to require a minimum of 1,380 hours for center-based Head Start and Early Head Start services; (2) defines "Indian" as a member of an Indian tribe within the "Indian tribe" definition; (3) expands "State" to explicitly include each of the Freely Associated States (i.e., Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of Palau); (4) expands "interrater reliability" to include training raters or observers to recognize linguistically and culturally appropriate practices; (5) strikes the definition of "limited English proficient"; (6) revises "professional development" to include supporting linguistically and culturally responsive learning outcomes; mental health in staff competencies; the Native American Child Outcomes Framework (under sec. 640(p)) for teachers at Native American Head Start agencies; and services for children who are developing English proficiency (from limited English proficient children); and (7) adds definitions of (A) annual adjustment percentage as the estimated CPI-U increase for the prior fiscal year, as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services; (B) assistive technology (cross-referencing 29 U.S.C. 3002); (C) Bureau-funded school (cross-referencing 20 U.S.C. 2021); (D) chemical restraint as a non-standard medical drug or medication used to control behavior or restrict movement; (E) developing English proficiency for children from non-English environments whose English limitations hinder classroom success or societal participation, and for adults learning English alongside their native language; (F) mechanical restraint as any device or equipment restricting a student's freedom of movement; (G) Native American as an Indian or Native Hawaiian, Native American Head Start agency as one operated by or designated by an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian Head Start agency, and Native American language (cross-referencing 25 U.S.C. 2902); and (H) Native Hawaiian, Native Hawaiian educational organization, and Native Hawaiian Head Start agency (cross-referencing 20 U.S.C. 7517).

This section authorizes and appropriates $144.872 billion for FY2026, with each succeeding fiscal year's amount increased by the annual adjustment percentage, for Head Start programs (i.e., comprehensive early childhood development services for low-income children and families, including Early Head Start) other than specified additional projects. It further authorizes and appropriates the following amounts for FY2026 through 2030: (1) $5 billion for improving or purchasing Head Start facilities under section 644(g), based on demonstrated need, in addition to other available amounts; (2) $91.575 million for age-appropriate transportation to Head Start services, including vehicle purchases under section 644(g), based on demonstrated need, in addition to other available amounts; (3) $37.5 million for the Rebuilding the Head Start Workforce Grant program under section 653(c); (4) $95 million for the community eligibility pilot program under section 657C; (5) $500 million for Head Start agency and institutions of higher education partnership activities under section 657D; (6) $863 million for extended operation grants under section 657E to enable Head Start agencies to provide center-based services for more than 1,380 hours annually (including summer months), based on demonstrated need; and (7) $1.625 billion for Head Start agency and child care provider partnership activities under section 657F, in addition to other available amounts.

This section restructures the financial assistance authority for Head Start programs (i.e., comprehensive early childhood development services for low-income children) into subsection (a) and adds subsection (b) requiring the Secretary to ensure that such five-year grants sufficiently account for the costs of serving children with disabilities.

This section strikes the prior authorization of appropriations for the Head Start program—$7.35 billion for FY2008, $7.65 billion for FY2009, $7.995 billion for FY2010, and such sums as necessary for FY2011 and FY2012—and instead requires the Secretary to maintain at least 10 regional offices and 2 program offices for the Office of Head Start (which administers the Head Start program serving low-income children with early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family services, including Early Head Start programs). The offices must (1) scale up technical assistance and training; (2) support local compliance with performance standards and monitoring, including for child health and safety; and (3) improve program quality to meet local needs, including staff recruitment and retention. The Secretary must develop regional proposals based on factors such as the number of agencies, eligible children and families, coordination capacity, and cultural and linguistic needs; seek public comment before designating regions; designate at least one program office each for Native American Head Start programs and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs; and ensure adequate staffing in each office.

This section revises the formula for allotting Head Start funds among grantees (42 U.S.C. 9835(a)) as follows: (1) replaces references to "Indian" with "Native American" throughout and updates certain cross-references (e.g., from section 639 to 637A(a)); (2) in para. (2), establishes new set-asides including $40 million for Head Start Career Advancement Partnership Program activities under section 648(h), $40 million (of which up to $10 million per fiscal year for section 650(k)) for research, demonstration, and evaluation under section 650, and $6 million for regional and program offices under section 639; (3) in para. (3)(A)(i), reserves for FY2026 $300 million for program slot conversions under subsection (f)(2)(C), $4.404 billion for extended center-based operations under section 642(j), and $80 million for mental health support under section 649; (4) in para. (4), increases funding to $200 million (from $100 million) for specified activities, increases a Native American training allocation to 4.5% (from 3%), sets a targeted percentage at 55% (previously "covered percentage"), and revises an income eligibility threshold to 60% of state median income for a family of the same size (from the poverty line); and (5) in para. (5), requires at least $3.58 billion in FY2026 for improving Head Start agency staff compensation under section 653 and updates prioritization language (e.g., "limited English proficient children" to "children who are developing English proficiency," with added priority for children with disabilities).

This section amends the Head Start Act's provisions on designating Head Start agencies (i.e., local entities delivering comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children from birth to age five), as follows: (1) In the system for designation renewal (42 U.S.C. 9836(c)), replaces "Indian" with "Native American" and "tribal" with "Tribal"; requires consultation with, or regarding, Native Hawaiian organizations and Native American Head Start agency representatives; and revises references from "and Labor" to "and Workforce"; (2) For successor designations when no current agency is renewed (42 U.S.C. 9836(d)(2)), inserts "mental health" before "educational" needs; adds "linguistically, culturally, and" before "developmentally" appropriate services; includes entities supporting children's mental health and well-being; requires mental health resources and, for Native American programs, services promoting Native American language literacy; and revises English learner references to include Native American languages; (3) Revises the prohibition on non-Native American agencies receiving grants for Native American Head Start programs (42 U.S.C. 9836(e)), including updating the subsection heading and replacing "non-Indian"/"Indian" with "non-Native American"/"Native American"; and (4) Revises the definition of "community" (42 U.S.C. 9836(h)) to include areas served by Native Hawaiian organizations or educational organizations and capitalizes "Tribal."

This section revises Head Start program performance standards, measures, monitoring requirements, and funding reduction provisions, with changes including (1) adding mental health services to required services standards and considerations; (2) replacing references to "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency" throughout; (3) adding standards and guidelines for abilities related to Native American languages and cultures for electing Native American Head Start agencies under the Native American Child Outcomes Framework; (4) inserting services and accommodations for children with disabilities in multiple standards and measures; (5) directing the Secretary to generally defer to, rather than consult with, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and early childhood experts on language acquisition, revitalization, and cultural preservation; (6) requiring new measures for disabilities services, English proficiency accommodations, and identifying individualized needs of children with disabilities; and (7) clarifying reductions for non-full-working-day and full calendar year programs while updating terminology from "Indian" to "Native American" for certain Head Start programs. (Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children ages birth to five.)

This section amends section 642 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837) concerning powers and functions of Head Start agencies (i.e., grantees providing early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to promote school readiness for low-income children aged birth through 5) as follows: (1) requires continuous programming to support the health, mental health, and well-being of adults and children; requires agencies to annually offer comprehensive services; replaces references to "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency"; and establishes procedures for identifying children eligible for reasonable accommodations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794) and informing their parents of available services; (2) requires coordination with the Medicaid program (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and updates references to include services for children with disabilities under section 619 and part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.); and (3) requires quality standards to incorporate universal design for learning principles, replaces terminology as above, and establishes section 504 identification procedures. The section further requires center-based Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) to provide services on a full calendar year schedule by September 30, 2027, subject to exemptions by the Secretary for programs likely to experience significant enrollment reductions that fail to meet local needs (as demonstrated by community assessments) and full exemptions for migrant/seasonal Head Start and Native American Head Start agencies.

This section revises Head Start agency requirements for coordinating children's transition to elementary school (42 U.S.C. 9837a(a)) by (1) including Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools alongside local educational agencies where children will attend; (2) replacing references to "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency" in two paragraphs; and (3) adding a requirement to coordinate with coordinators of full-service community schools (i.e., public schools coordinating educational, developmental, health, and other services through community partnerships, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7272) if located in the agency's service area.

This section revises Head Start collaboration grants, which facilitate coordination among Head Start agencies—including Early Head Start—and state/local entities serving low-income children from birth to school entry and their families, as follows: (1) changing the funding source from amounts available under section 9835(a)(2)(B)(vi) to section 9835(a)(2)(B)(v); (2) replacing "Indian" with "Native American" in references to Head Start programs served by national administrative offices (in subsection (a)(2)(A)) and in reporting requirements (in subsection (b)(1)(C)(vi)); (3) in duties of the State Director of Head Start Collaboration (subsection (a)(4)), replacing "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency" (in subparagraph (B)(i)); (4) inserting ", Tribal," after "State" (in subparagraph (C)); and (5) in subparagraph (D), inserting "and Bureau-funded schools" after "local educational agencies" and replacing "at both the State" with "at State, Tribal".

This section revises administrative requirements and standards for Head Start agencies by—(1) in subsection (f), requiring certification that facilities comply with title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12181 et seq.) and expanding waiver eligibility to include Native Hawaiian organizations, Native Hawaiian educational organizations, and Native American Head Start programs; (2) in subsection (g)(1), adding Native Hawaiian Head Start agencies and communities to references previously limited to tribes; and (3) in subsection (h), replacing “American Indian” with “Native American” and “members of an Indian tribe” with “Native Americans.”

This section revises enrollment eligibility criteria under sec. 645 of the Head Start Act for Head Start and Early Head Start programs (i.e., comprehensive early childhood development programs serving low-income children and families to promote school readiness). Specifically, it (1) requires priority for children whose families have incomes below 60% of the state median income for a family of the same size, are eligible (or potentially eligible absent child care) for public assistance, or previously participated in such a program; (2) expands the list of children who may participate to explicitly include homeless children, those in foster care or kinship care or who experienced abuse or neglect, those eligible for specified benefits (e.g., SSI, TANF, SNAP), children with disabilities, children of agency staff, and other vulnerable groups approved by the Secretary; (3) authorizes Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Native Hawaiian educational organizations operating such programs to establish selection criteria prioritizing children in tribal or Native Hawaiian families who are otherwise ineligible; and (4) authorizes migrant or seasonal Head Start programs to establish selection criteria prioritizing children of migrant farmworker families (per the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act) whose income derives primarily from agricultural employment, for otherwise ineligible children. (Thus, these changes broaden access beyond traditional income-based eligibility while preserving program slots for the neediest children.)

This section revises requirements for Early Head Start programs, which provide comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income families with infants and toddlers, as follows: (1) replaces "intellectual" with "cognitive" in the description of child development services; (2) in eligible service providers, changes "Indian" to "Native American" and inserts "partnerships and" before examples of providers; (3) requires selection of grantees on a competitive basis to applicants meeting specified criteria, with priority to entities with a record of providing early childhood and family services or operating a Head Start program; (4) updates a cross-reference for training and technical assistance; (5) removes the September 30, 2010, deadline for center-based staffing requirements; and (6) in staff qualifications, replaces "limited English proficient" with "developing English proficiency," adds emphases on mental health services and screenings (including for home visits), and requires referrals for social, emotional, behavioral, or other mental health concerns.

This section revises references in Head Start appeals procedures under subsection (e)(1)—previously limited to Indian tribes—to also encompass Native Hawaiian organizations, Native Hawaiian educational organizations, and the Native Hawaiian community: (1) striking "Indian tribe" each place it appears and inserting "Indian tribe, Native Hawaiian organization, or Native Hawaiian educational organization"; (2) in subparagraph (B), striking "the tribe" the first place it appears and inserting "the Indian tribe, Native Hawaiian organization, or Native Hawaiian educational organization"; and (3) elsewhere, striking "the tribe" each place it appears and inserting "the Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian community involved". (Thus, these entities gain equivalent procedural rights in delegate agency application appeals previously available only to Indian tribes.)

This section amends technical assistance and training authorities in Section 648 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9843)—which support Head Start agencies delivering early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family services to low-income children and families—as follows: (1) replaces references to "limited English proficient" with "developing English proficiency" and "Indian" with "Native American" (adding "Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian" in multiple places); (2) in subsection (a)(3)(B), adds activities to promote evidence-based behavioral interventions and supports, prevent seclusion, mechanical, chemical, and physical restraints, collect related evaluation data under section 650(n), and coordinate Medicaid services under the Social Security Act; (3) in subsection (d)(1), adds training on behavioral interventions/supports (including data-driven decision-making) and restraint prevention strategies; (4) inserts new subsection (g) requiring the Secretary to coordinate with the Secretary of Education on disability services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794), and to provide related training to Head Start agencies; and (5) in subsection (h) (as redesignated), expands partnerships and scholarships to "other minority-serving institutions, including Hispanic-serving institutions," broadens scholarship coverage to full cost of attendance and other in-service costs, and adds training for staff serving Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Asian American and Pacific Islander children (including linguistic expertise).

This section amends Head Start staff qualifications and development requirements (42 U.S.C. 9843a) as follows: (1) in subsection (a)(1), revises teacher competencies to include universal design for learning principles in advancing development of all children, school readiness including infants and toddlers as applicable, social-emotional development including infants and toddlers, and providing linguistically and culturally appropriate instruction; (2) in subsection (a)(2)(B), requires all Head Start education coordinators (previously not specified as "all") to assist with curricula including linguistically and culturally appropriate instruction and updates the relevant House committee reference to "Education and Workforce" (from "Education and Labor"); (3) in subsection (a)(5), adds linguistically and culturally appropriate instruction to classroom instruction; (4) in subsection (a)(6), modifies the scholarship program's teaching requirement to a minimum of 3 years of service in Head Start with no repayment required if unmet (previously required repayment through degree completion); (5) in subsection (a)(7), strikes cross-references to "or 102" and ", 1002"; (6) in subsection (b)(1), adds support for linguistically and culturally appropriate instruction; (7) in subsection (c)(5), revises terminology to "children who are developing English proficiency and children with disabilities" (from "limited English proficient children"); and (8) in subsection (g), capitalizes "Tribal" (from "tribal").

This section establishes a new section 649 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9844 note) requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to ensure Head Start agencies—including those operating Early Head Start programs—support the mental health and well-being of agency staff, parents, and enrolled children. To implement this, agencies must (1) support adult mental health and well-being through family engagement, responsive home visiting, and staff wellness promotion; (2) encourage positive learning environments, particularly for children with disabilities, those developing English proficiency, and infants and toddlers; (3) provide mental health screenings for all children, consultation services with follow-up and referrals, and parent information on services; (4) facilitate access to mental health consultants trained in evidence-based strategies for preventing and addressing mental health and social-emotional concerns; (5) train all lead teachers on infant and early childhood mental health; (6) promote multitiered systems of support such as positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and trauma-informed care; and (7) support staff wellness breaks that account for shift length, qualified staffing availability, child safety, and more restrictive state laws. Agencies may partner with community providers (e.g., behavior coaches, psychologists) for additional resources. These requirements apply to all Head Start agencies except Native American programs, which instead must develop linguistically and culturally responsive mental health practices for staff and children in collaboration with Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian communities, as applicable. (Head Start programs promote the school readiness of low-income preschool children and their families through education, health, nutrition, and family support services.)

This section revises the research, demonstration, and evaluation authorities under Section 650 of the Head Start Act, which directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and fund studies on Head Start programs that provide early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children and families. Specifically, it (1) requires consultation with the advisory panel established under subsection (g)(1) when prioritizing research under subsection (a)(2); (2) expands eligible entities for research contracts and cooperative agreements under subsection (c) to include other HHS offices (e.g., Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation), the Institute of Education Sciences, and Indian Tribes and Native American Head Start agency representatives; (3) adds research priorities under subsection (d), including models to simulate control groups, outreach and retention of eligible families, family support services, and drivers of early care and education workforce retention and turnover; (4) revises the advisory panel provisions under subsection (g), including updates to reporting requirements on program outcomes (e.g., long-term academic performance and continued Early Head Start–Head Start participation), data disaggregation by additional characteristics (e.g., race, ethnicity, disability status), and extension of the panel's termination date to September 30, 2027 (from September 30, 2009); and (5) updates subsection (h) on children developing English proficiency (previously limited English proficient children), including extension of the related reporting deadline to September 30, 2028 (from September 30, 2010).

This section revises reporting requirements in the Head Start Act (i.e., comprehensive early childhood development program serving low-income children and families, including those with disabilities, homeless children, and children in foster care). Specifically, it (1) updates the House committee name from "Education and Labor" to "Education and Workforce" wherever it appears and changes statutory references from the "Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007" to the "Head Start for America’s Children Act"; (2) revises the biennial status of children report by replacing "limited English proficient children" and "Indian" with "children who are developing English proficiency" and "Native American," respectively; (3) expands staff information requirements in paragraph (7) to include benefits, the impact of training programs on recruitment and retention, wage and benefits comparability to public elementary school educators (accounting for geographic variation and pay structures), and adequacy of the annual base salary under section 653(b) to meet staff basic needs; (4) requires child participant data in paragraph (8) to be disaggregated by family income levels and to cover homelessness status, sex, disability status, age, and English proficiency development status; and (5) adds paragraphs (15) and (16) requiring a study of children and families served through specific eligibility pathways (i.e., incomes below 60% of state median income, categorical eligibility, Native American programs, and migrant/seasonal programs) and a survey of barriers to Head Start-child care partnerships under section 657F, including Early Head Start agencies' use of funds. This section further requires two new reports due not later than one year after enactment of the Head Start for America’s Children Act: (1) a public report on trends in Head Start program re-competitions since implementation of the designation renewal system under section 641, including impacts on program quality, agency characteristics, and barriers for new grantees; and (2) a report to congressional committees analyzing effects of Administration for Children and Families staffing reductions since January 1, 2025, on Head Start operations such as center openings, safety investigations, training, fund disbursement, and technical assistance (particularly for Native American programs).

This section revises compensation requirements under the Head Start Act for staff of Head Start and Early Head Start agencies (i.e., programs providing comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children ages birth to five). It requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that educational staff receive compensation at least equal to the higher of (1) parity with similarly credentialed local public elementary school educators or (2) an annual base salary of $60,000 in FY2026, adjusted annually thereafter by CPI-U; that all staff have salary scales based on qualifications and experience that are competitive, comparable across preschool and infant-toddler roles, and updated at least every three years; and that agencies provide or facilitate access to specified benefits (e.g., health coverage, paid leave, behavioral health services for full-time staff; health coverage and child care for part-time staff; and public service loan forgiveness). The section also authorizes competitive grants of up to five years to Head Start agencies to address staffing shortages and enhance program quality through recruitment, retention, professional development, and related activities. (Grants reserve at least 4.5% of funds for American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian and migrant/seasonal Head Start agencies and prioritize applications addressing underenrollment, diverse needs, underserved/rural/persistent poverty areas, and Native language/cultural instruction.)

This section makes technical and conforming amendments to the Centers of Excellence in Early Childhood program under the Head Start Act, which designates up to 200 exemplary Head Start agencies—including Early Head Start, Native American Head Start, and migrant and seasonal Head Start agencies—for bonus grants to improve early childhood education services. Specifically, the section (1) replaces references to "Indian Head Start agencies" with "Native American Head Start agencies" in subsections (b)(1) and (c); (2) replaces "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency" in subsections (c)(3) and (d)(1)(B); (3) updates a reference in subsection (e)(2) from the "Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007" to the "Head Start for America’s Children Act"; and (4) extends the authorization of appropriations from 2008 through 2012 to 2026 through 2030.

This section redesignates section 657C of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9852c), which limits federal mandates on Head Start curriculum selection and defines "health" services to include mental health, as section 657G and establishes a community eligibility pilot program. Under the pilot program, the Secretary of Health and Human Services selects up to 10 Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) serving high-poverty communities (i.e., cities, counties, Tribal areas, Native Hawaiian areas, or neighborhoods) and provides them authority and additional funds to enroll all children in the relevant age range living in the community, without regard to existing income eligibility criteria under sections 645 or 645A of the act. (1) The Secretary considers community needs, demographics, poverty metrics, inclusive outreach, and prioritization plans for children with greatest need when approving applications; (2) provides technical assistance to participants; (3) evaluates the pilot's effectiveness in expanding access, reducing barriers, maintaining program quality under section 641A standards, and supporting family services; and (4) submits reports to Congress on initial results (two years after implementation) and recommendations for serving high-poverty areas (within two years after the pilot ends). The pilot terminates after five years from the first grant award but may be extended for up to three additional years (except for the final report requirement).

This section establishes a pilot grant program authorizing the Secretary to award competitive five-year grants, renewable for additional three-year periods, to Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) partnering with institutions of higher education to support or establish on-campus Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) serving student parents—defined as parents enrolled in postsecondary education whose children are Head Start-eligible. Grants require applications demonstrating student parent needs (e.g., demographics, waiting lists, poverty concentrations), partnership details, planned activities for existing or new programs, and resources; priority goes to partnerships with historically Black colleges or universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, or other minority-serving institutions; those addressing underserved children, high student parent populations, or high proportions of Pell Grant-eligible student parents; or those serving high-need areas. Grantees must submit annual reports on populations served, resources used, program impacts, and effects on student parents' educational opportunities, with renewals based on the partnering institution's good-faith efforts to provide access.

This section establishes a competitive grant program under the Head Start Act to enable Head Start agencies, including Early Head Start agencies, to extend center-based services to full-working-day operations (which may include summer months). (As background, Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children and families.) From amounts made available, the Secretary must reserve not less than 4.5% of funds for Native American or migrant/seasonal Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies), which must use the funds for additional hours of center-based services but need not provide a full-working-day schedule. After reservations, the Secretary must prioritize applications proposing to (1) extend program hours; (2) continue high-quality summer services, particularly in communities with limited child care options; (3) serve children from underserved populations, rural communities, or areas of persistent poverty; or (4) align additional hours with local families' work schedules. Grant recipients must use funds for staff compensation (particularly for extended hours), facility upgrades, furniture, materials, supplies, or other operational costs associated with extended hours.

This section establishes a competitive grant program under the Head Start Act for Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) to partner with child care providers—particularly those assisted under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990—to enable the providers to meet Head Start program performance standards under section 641A through activities such as (1) expanding child care programs with financial support; (2) providing professional development to child care staff; (3) blending Child Care and Development Block Grant and Head Start funds to expand high-quality, full-day services; (4) developing timelines to increase child care quality and capacity; and (5) aligning services with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must give priority to applications proposing strong alignment with maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting programs under section 511 of the Social Security Act, state-funded prekindergarten, programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Child Care and Development Block Grant programs; provide technical assistance under Head Start section 648; and establish standards defining agency and provider responsibilities prior to grant awards. Participating child care providers receive a 36-month exemption from Head Start designation renewal requirements under section 641(c).

This section revises the special rules in Section 657G(b) of the Head Start Act by (1) retaining the existing prohibition on a Head Start program or local educational agency requiring the other to select or implement a specific curriculum or program of instruction; (2) prohibiting the Secretary or a Head Start agency (including an Early Head Start agency) from determining any child or family ineligible for Head Start services except based on the eligibility requirements specified in the subchapter; and (3) clarifying that full calendar year requirements do not apply to Native American Head Start programs or migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, consistent with existing law. (Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services primarily to low-income children ages birth to five.)