S. 2166 — Head Start for Our Future Act

This section expands the list of eligible community services under the Federal Work-Study Program (20 U.S.C. 1087-51 et seq.), which provides part-time jobs to students with financial need, to include child development and early learning (including Head Start and Early Head Start programs). It also adds a requirement (as new sec. 443(b)(11)) that participating institutions obtain assurances from any such Head Start or Early Head Start program employing work-study students that the program will comply with staffing requirements under secs. 645A(j) and 648A(h), respectively, of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a(j), 9843a(h)).

This section establishes requirements under the Head Start Act for students serving Early Head Start programs (42 U.S.C. 9840a) and Head Start programs (42 U.S.C. 9843a) through Federal Work-Study programs (20 U.S.C. 1087-51(c)(1)). For both programs, it requires (1) agencies to comply with criminal background check requirements under section 648A(g)(3) prior to employing such students; (2) students to comply with applicable personnel policies under Head Start performance standards; and (3) work-study students to serve as additional paid staff who may not be left alone with children—a non-work-study paid staff member must be present—and who do not count toward staff-to-child ratios.