S. 2819 — Head Start for America's Children Act

This section revises the purpose statement of the Head Start Act by (1) expanding the supported learning environment to the growth of infants, toddlers, and children (from children's growth) in language, literacy, mathematics, science, social and emotional functioning, creative arts, physical skills, and approaches to learning; and (2) expanding services to low-income infants, toddlers, children, and their families (from low-income children and their families) by adding mental health services to the list of health, educational, nutritional, social, and other services determined necessary based on family needs assessments. (The Head Start program provides comprehensive early childhood development services to promote school readiness for low-income families.)

This section revises several definitions in sec. 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832)—which supports early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family services for low-income children prenatal to age 5—and adds new ones as follows: (1) revises "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 include each Freely Associated State (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 in 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 infant and toddler contexts, the Native American Child Outcomes Framework for Native American Head Start teachers, and children developing English proficiency (replacing limited English proficient children); and (7) adds definitions for annual adjustment percentage (based on CPI-U increase), assistive technology (cross-referencing Assistive Technology Act of 1998), Bureau-funded school (cross-referencing Education Amendments of 1978), chemical restraint (non-prescribed drugs to control behavior), developing English proficiency (for children and adults facing English barriers, including Native Americans and residents of certain territories or Freely Associated States), mechanical restraint (devices restricting movement), Native American (Indian or Native Hawaiian, with related terms for agencies and languages cross-referencing Native American Languages Act), and Native Hawaiian (with related terms for educational organizations and Head Start agencies cross-referencing Native Hawaiian Education Act).

This section authorizes and appropriates $144.872 billion for FY2026, with amounts for each succeeding fiscal year 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 for infants and toddlers) other than specified additional projects. It also authorizes and appropriates the following amounts for FY2026 through 2030 for additional projects: (1) $5 billion for improving or purchasing Head Start facilities under section 644(g), and $91.575 million for age-appropriate transportation services including vehicle purchases under section 644(g); (2) $37.5 million for the Rebuilding the Head Start Workforce Grant program under section 653(c); (3) $95 million for the community eligibility pilot program under section 657C; (4) $500 million for Head Start agency and institutions of higher education partnership activities under section 657D; (5) $863 million for extended operation grants under section 657E to enable center-based services exceeding 1,380 hours annually; and (6) $1.625 billion for Head Start agency and child care provider partnership activities under section 657F.

This section requires the Secretary, in providing five-year financial assistance to eligible Head Start agencies for comprehensive health, education, parental involvement, nutritional, social, and other services to attain school readiness for low-income children not yet of compulsory school age, to ensure such assistance sufficiently accounts for the costs associated with serving children with disabilities. (Head Start is a federal program that funds local agencies to deliver early childhood education and support services primarily to children in low-income families.)

This section strikes the existing authorizations 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 of Health and Human Services to maintain at least 10 regional offices and 2 program offices (one each for Native American Head Start programs and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs) for the Office of Head Start. (Head Start provides early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children and families.) These offices must scale up technical assistance and training; support local programs' compliance with performance standards and monitoring, including for child health and safety; improve program quality to meet community needs, including staff recruitment and retention; develop regional proposals based on factors such as the number of agencies, eligible children, coordination capacity, and cultural and linguistic needs; seek public comment prior to designating regions; and ensure adequate staffing.

This section revises the formula for allotting Head Start funds among grantees serving low-income children (generally ages birth to 5) by making terminology changes (replacing "Indian" with "Native American" throughout), updating cross-references (e.g., from section 639 to 637A(a) and section 649 to 650), striking outdated provisions (e.g., references to the Republic of Palau and fiscal year 2012 availability), and restructuring multiple paragraphs. It establishes new set-asides and reservations, including (1) $40 million for Head Start Career Advancement Partnership Program activities under section 648(h); (2) not less than $40 million for research, demonstration, and evaluation activities under section 650 (of which not more than $10 million per fiscal year for section 650(k)); (3) $6 million for regional and program offices under section 639; and (4) for fiscal year 2026, $300 million for program slot conversions under subsection (f)(2)(C), $4.404 billion for extended center-based operations (including Early Head Start) under section 642(j), $80 million for mental health support under section 649, and not less than $3.58 billion for improving compensation of Head Start personnel, workers, and counselors under section 653. It also increases funding in paragraph (4)(B) to $200 million (from $100 million) each place it appears; raises a set-aside percentage to 4.5% (from 3%) in paragraph (4)(D)(ii); and revises an eligibility threshold in paragraph (4)(D)(iv)(I)(aa) to 55% of funds for families at or below 60% of state median income for a family of the same size (from the "covered percentage" tied to the poverty line).

This section revises provisions governing the designation of Head Start agencies (i.e., local entities delivering comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children and families) under the Head Start Act, 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 Native Hawaiian organizations or educational organizations and a Native American Head Start agency representative; and replaces "and Labor" with "and Workforce" (likely referring to the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Labor, now Workforce); (2) In procedures for designating a successor agency when no entity is renewed (42 U.S.C. 9836(d)(2)), inserts requirements to prioritize entities providing mental health services; adds "linguistically, culturally, and" before "developmentally" appropriate services; expands priorities to include entities supporting child mental health and well-being and providing mental health resources; specifies services promoting literacy in Native American languages for Native American Head Start programs; and revises English language criteria to strike "limited English proficient children" and "children who are developing English proficiency," instead inserting "or Native American" after "English"; (3) In the prohibition against non-Native American agencies receiving grants for Native American Head Start programs (42 U.S.C. 9836(e)), updates the subsection heading accordingly and replaces "non-Indian," "Indian," and related terms with "non-Native American" and "Native American"; and (4) In the definition of "community" (42 U.S.C. 9836(h)), capitalizes "Tribal" and inserts "an area served by a Native Hawaiian organization or Native Hawaiian educational organization" before "or a neighborhood."

This section revises Head Start program performance standards, measures, monitoring requirements, and funding reduction provisions (42 U.S.C. 9836a). (Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to promote school readiness for low-income children from birth to age 5.) Specifically, the section (1) adds mental health services to required performance standards for health, parental involvement, nutrition, and social services, and to related considerations for program design; (2) replaces "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency" in standards, measures, and monitoring provisions; (3) adds a new education performance standard (clause (xi)) requiring demonstration of abilities related to Native American languages and cultures for Native American Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start) that elect to prioritize their preservation and revitalization using the Native American Child Outcomes Framework; (4) in program measures, adds requirements for services and accommodations (including auxiliary aids and assistive technology) for children with disabilities and accommodations for children developing English proficiency, requires identifying individualized needs of children with disabilities, and directs the Secretary to consult with Indian tribes, Native American Head Start agencies, and Native Hawaiian communities to support Native American Head Start programs (including classroom practices, community engagement, evaluations, cultural preservation, and compliance amid integrated Tribal funding under the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992); (5) in considerations for standards, adds services for children with disabilities, mental health services and physical development, Native American language and culture standards (clause (xi)), and directs the Secretary to generally defer to Indian, Native Hawaiian, and early childhood education experts on language acquisition, revitalization, and cultural preservation; and (6) in funding reductions and redistributions, adds "full calendar year" to full-working-day program descriptions and replaces "Indian" with "Native American" for such programs.

This section amends specified provisions of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837) governing agency powers and functions, collaboration and coordination requirements, and quality standards. Specifically, it (1) requires Head Start agencies to provide continuous programming supporting the health, mental health, and well-being of adults and children; annually offer parent and family engagement services (previously at least once each program year); 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; (2) adds the Medicaid program (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) to required collaborations and includes services for children with disabilities under preschool grants (20 U.S.C. 1419) and IDEA part C early intervention (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.); (3) requires quality standards and assessments to incorporate universal design for learning principles and adds procedures for section 504-eligible children; and (4) requires center-based Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start) to operate on a full calendar year schedule by September 30, 2027, with exemptions for agencies demonstrating enrollment reductions or unmet community needs via assessment, and full exemptions for migrant/seasonal and Native American programs.

This section revises Head Start program transition requirements with K–12 education under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837a(a)) as follows: (1) expands references to local educational agencies in the introductory clause and paragraphs (3), (5), and (10) to include Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools for children who will attend such schools; (2) in paragraphs (7) and (8), replaces "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency"; and (3) adds paragraph (15) requiring coordination and collaboration with full-service community school coordinators (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7272, i.e., public elementary or secondary schools that coordinate and integrate educational, developmental, family, health, and other services through community partnerships) to facilitate transitions for Head Start- and Early Head Start-served children into such schools located in the agency's service area.

This section revises Head Start collaboration grants, which facilitate coordination between Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start) and other entities serving low-income children from birth to school entry and their families, as follows: (1) changing the funding source citation from section 640(a)(2)(B)(vi) to section 640(a)(2)(B)(v); (2) replacing "Indian" with "Native American" in subsection (a)(2)(A), pertaining to national administrative offices serving such programs, and in subsection (b)(1)(C)(vi); and (3) in subsection (a)(4), which authorizes activities of the State Director of Head Start Collaboration—(A) replacing "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency" in subparagraph (B)(i); (B) inserting ", Tribal," after "State" in subparagraph (C); and (C) in subparagraph (D), inserting "and Bureau-funded schools" after "local educational agencies" and replacing "at both the State" with "at State, Tribal". (Thus, the changes update terminology, broaden references to Tribal entities, and expand collaboration to include Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools.)

This section amends administrative requirements and standards for Head Start agencies under the Head Start Act as follows: (1) in subsection (f), requires certifications that facilities comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (i.e., public accommodations standards); inserts references to Native Hawaiian organizations and Native Hawaiian educational organizations alongside tribes; and inserts "Native American" before "Head Start"; (2) in subsection (g)(1), inserts references to Native Hawaiian Head Start agencies and communities alongside tribes; and (3) in subsection (h), replaces "American Indian" with "Native American" and "members of an Indian tribe" with "Native Americans".

This section revises designation and eligibility criteria for Head Start programs (i.e., federally funded early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services primarily for low-income children ages birth to five) under section 645 of the Head Start Act. Specifically, it (1) makes technical conforming amendments to the structure of subsection (a); (2) in subsection (a)(1)(B)(i), replaces prior income and assistance criteria with eligibility for children whose families have incomes below 60% of state median income for their family size, are eligible (or potentially eligible absent child care) for public assistance, or previously participated in a full year of Head Start or Early Head Start; (3) in subsection (a)(1)(B)(ii), expands priority categories to include homeless children; those in foster care, kinship care, or who experienced child abuse or neglect; those eligible for Supplemental Security Income, TANF, SNAP, certain nutrition or housing assistance, or other specified benefits; children with disabilities; children of Head Start agency staff; and other Secretary-approved vulnerable groups; (4) makes technical changes to clauses (iii) through (v) of subsection (a)(1)(B), including eligibility for prior Head Start participants through kindergarten entry (from prior limits); (5) revises subsection (d) to authorize Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Native Hawaiian educational organizations operating Head Start or Early Head Start programs to establish discretionary selection criteria prioritizing enrollment of Native American or Native Hawaiian children (or those in such households) who would benefit most but do not meet standard criteria under subsection (a)(1)(B)(i) or (ii); and (6) adds subsection (e) authorizing migrant or seasonal Head Start agencies to establish similar discretionary criteria, with priority to children of migrant farmworkers whose family income derives primarily from agricultural employment as defined in the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 1802).

This section revises requirements for Early Head Start programs, which provide family-centered services to promote the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of infants and toddlers in low-income families, as follows: (1) replaces "intellectual" with "cognitive" in the description of child development services under section 645A(b)(1); (2) revises eligible service providers under section 645A(d) by replacing "Indian" with "Native American" in paragraph (2) and inserting "partnerships and" before "other entities" in paragraph (3); (3) revises the grant selection process under section 645A(e) to require awards on a competitive basis to applicants meeting criteria in subsection (d), with priority to entities with a record of providing early childhood development and family services or to Head Start program operators; (4) updates a cross-reference in training and technical assistance requirements under section 645A(g)(2)(B)(i) from section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb) to section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(III)(bb); (5) removes the September 30, 2010, deadlines from center-based staffing requirements under section 645A(h)(1) and (2), making them ongoing; and (6) revises staff qualifications under section 645A(i)(2) by replacing "children who are limited English proficient" with "children who are developing English proficiency" in subparagraph (D); adding mental health screening, referrals, and follow-up to home visit requirements and references in subparagraph (E); and inserting ", mental health," after "health" in subparagraph (G).

This section revises Head Start Act appeal, notice, and hearing procedures applicable to Indian tribes to also cover Native Hawaiian organizations and Native Hawaiian educational organizations by (1) replacing each reference to "Indian tribe" with "Indian tribe, Native Hawaiian organization, or Native Hawaiian educational organization"; and (2) replacing most references to "the tribe" with "the Indian tribe, Native Hawaiian organization, or Native Hawaiian educational organization" (or "the Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian community involved," as applicable).

This section amends Section 648 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9843), which authorizes technical assistance and training for Head Start agencies (providing early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children ages birth to five), as follows: (1) In subsection (a)(3), restructures language on training for staff and families; replaces "limited English proficient" with "developing English proficiency" in two places; adds requirements to assist agencies in (A) increasing evidence-based positive behavioral interventions and supports, preventing seclusion, mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and reducing physical restraint, and collecting related evaluation data under section 650(n); and (B) developing policies for Medicaid service coordination and reimbursement (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.); and expands assistance for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Head Start agencies. (2) In subsection (b), updates a cross-reference to section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(III)(cc) (from section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(cc)) and replaces "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency." (3) In subsection (d), updates a cross-reference to section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(III)(aa) (from section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(aa)); replaces "limited English proficient" with "developing English proficiency" in two places; adds authorized training activities on evidence-based behavioral interventions (including data-driven decision-making) and strategies to prevent seclusion, mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and reduce physical restraint; and requires training in Native American languages, as appropriate. (4) In subsection (e), replaces "Indian" with "Native American" throughout; updates cross-references to section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(III)(bb) (from section 640(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)(bb)); and changes "Labor" to "Workforce" in one place. (5) Adds new subsection (g) requiring the Secretary to coordinate with the Secretary of Education on services for children with disabilities 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 provide related training and technical assistance to improve Head Start coordination. (6) In subsection (h), as redesignated, expands university partnerships to include "other minority-serving institutions, including Hispanic-serving institutions" (in addition to Tribal Colleges and Universities); broadens scholarship coverage to the full cost of attendance and other in-service learning costs; replaces "limited English proficient" with "developing English proficiency"; expands programs for Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children to include Tribal culture and Native American languages; and adds programs at other minority-serving institutions to develop staff skills for serving large numbers of Indian

This section revises Head Start staff qualifications and development requirements as follows: (1) expands teacher competencies under subsection (a)(1) to include applying universal design for learning principles to the development of all children, school readiness for children including infants and toddlers as applicable, social-emotional development for infants and toddlers, and providing linguistically and culturally appropriate instruction; (2) under subsection (a)(2)(B), applies coordinator requirements to all Head Start education coordinators (previously not explicitly all) and requires their assistance capacity to include linguistically and culturally appropriate instruction and curricula; (3) incorporates linguistically and culturally appropriate instruction into professional development requirements under subsections (a)(5) and (b)(1); (4) under subsection (a)(6), limits scholarship recipients' service obligation to teaching or working in Head Start for a minimum of three years, with no repayment required if unmet; (5) under subsection (c)(5), replaces references to limited English proficient children with children developing English proficiency and adds children with disabilities; (6) updates the House committee reference from "Education and Labor" to "Education and Workforce"; (7) under subsection (a)(7), strikes cross-references to sections 102 and 1002; and (8) capitalizes "Tribal" throughout subsection (g).

This section redesignates sections 649 and 650 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9844 and 9846) as sections 650 and 651, respectively, and inserts a new section 649 requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to ensure each Head Start agency (including Early Head Start agencies) supports the mental health and well-being of program staff, parents, and children. To implement this, each Head Start agency must (1) support adult mental health and well-being through family engagement, home visiting, and staff wellness; (2) encourage positive learning environments, particularly for children with disabilities, English learners, and infants/toddlers; (3) provide mental health screening, consultation services with follow-up/referrals, and parent information; (4) facilitate access to trained mental health consultants; (5) train all lead teachers on infant/early childhood mental health; (6) promote multitiered supports such as positive behavioral interventions, trauma-informed care; and (7) support staff wellness breaks considering shift length, child safety, and applicable state laws. Agencies may partner with community mental health specialists; the requirements apply to all Head Start agencies and programs except Native American programs, which instead must establish culturally and linguistically responsive mental health practices developed with Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities. (Head Start programs provide comprehensive early education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income preschool children and families.)

This section revises the research, demonstrations, and evaluation authorities under sec. 650 of the Head Start Act for Head Start programs (i.e., federal programs providing comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families). Specifically, it (1) requires activities under subsection (a)(2) to be conducted in consultation with the advisory panel under subsection (g)(1); (2) expands grant recipients under subsection (b)(1) to include other Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offices (e.g., Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation) and public or private entities (e.g., Institute of Education Sciences); (3) under subsection (c)(1), adds Indian Tribes and Native American Head Start agency representatives to peer review entities and, under (c)(3), emphasizes grants to minority-serving institutions; (4) under subsection (d), adds or revises required research topics to include control group simulations, outreach/enrollment/retention (including between Early Head Start and Head Start), family support processes, and early care and education workforce retention/turnover drivers; (5) under subsection (g), revises advisory panel composition and duties, expands longitudinal reporting (including Early Head Start-Head Start continuum effects and long-term academic performance), requires additional data (e.g., disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and service hours), and extends the panel through September 30, 2027 (from September 30, 2009); and (6) under subsection (h), updates terminology from "limited English proficient children" to "children who are developing English proficiency" and extends related activities through September 30, 2028 (from September 30, 2010).

This section revises biennial reporting requirements on the status of children in Head Start programs (i.e., comprehensive early childhood development services for low-income children and families, including those with disabilities, developing English proficiency, homelessness, foster care, Native American, and migrant or seasonal programs) by (1) updating the House committee name to Education and Workforce (from Education and Labor); (2) replacing "limited English proficient children" and "Indian" with "children who are developing English proficiency" and "Native American," respectively; (3) expanding staff information in subsection (a)(7) to include benefits and details on training impacts 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); (4) in subsection (a)(8), requiring child participant data disaggregated by family income levels, adding "status" to homelessness, and replacing "disability" with "sex, status as a child with a disability, age, status as a child developing English proficiency"; (5) adding new reporting elements in subsection (a)(15) on the population served through specific eligibility pathways (e.g., income below 60% of state median income, categorical eligibility, Native American and migrant/seasonal criteria) and (a)(16) on barriers to Head Start-child care partnerships under section 657F and Early Head Start fund utilization; (6) making minor conforming changes to section citations and punctuation; (7) updating statutory references from the "Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007" to the "Head Start for America's Children Act"; and (8) requiring two new reports due not later than one year after enactment of the Head Start for America's Children Act—one publicly available on trends in Head Start re-competition since the designation renewal system under section 641 (analyzing agency changes, quality outcomes, non-renewals leading to open competitions, and barriers deterring new grantees) and one to specified committees on the effects of Administration for Children and Families staffing reductions since January 1, 2025, on Head Start execution (e.g., center operations, safety investigations, training, fund disbursement, and Native American program support).

This section revises Section 653 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9848) (i.e., concerning Head Start staff compensation, where Head Start is a program providing early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services to low-income children ages birth to five) by expanding its scope to explicitly include Early Head Start programs and agencies; requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure minimum compensation standards for educational staff (the higher of parity with similarly credentialed local public elementary school teachers or an annual base salary of $60,000 in FY2026, adjusted annually thereafter by CPI for all urban consumers); establishing salary scales or pay structures based on qualifications, experience, and responsibilities (updated at least every three years); ensuring livable, competitive, and comparable pay; and facilitating access to benefits such as health coverage, paid leave, behavioral health services, child care, and public service loan forgiveness for staff. The section further authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants of up to five years to Head Start agencies to address immediate staffing shortages and enhance program quality, requiring grant applications to detail current staffing, recruitment and retention plans, and quality improvement strategies; reserving at least 4.5% of funds for American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian and migrant/seasonal Head Start agencies; giving priority to applicants addressing underenrollment-related shortages, diverse child needs, underserved or rural populations, and Native language instruction; and permitting uses including recruitment/retention bonuses (especially for educators and mental health consultants) and staff mental health support.

This section revises 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 school readiness and related services) by (1) replacing "Indian Head Start agencies" with "Native American Head Start agencies" in subsections (b)(1) and (c); (2) replacing "limited English proficient children" with "children who are developing English proficiency" in subsections (c)(3) and (d)(1)(B); (3) updating 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) extending the authorization of appropriations to 2026 through 2030 (from 2008 through 2012).

This section redesignates section 657C of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9852c)—concerning limitations on federal mandates for Head Start curricula, programs of instruction, or materials, and a special rule prohibiting Head Start agencies or local educational agencies from requiring each other to adopt specific curricula—as section 657G and inserts a new section 657C to establish a community eligibility pilot program. Under the pilot program, the Secretary of Health and Human Services must select not more than 10 Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) serving high-poverty communities (i.e., cities, counties, Indian reservations, Native Hawaiian areas, or neighborhoods) and provide them authority and additional funds to enroll all children in the relevant age range living in such communities, without regard to existing income eligibility criteria under sections 645 or 645A of the Head Start Act. (Head Start programs provide comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services primarily to low-income children and families.) The Secretary must consider community needs, demographics, poverty metrics, inclusive outreach, and prioritization plans for children with greatest need when approving applications; provide technical assistance; evaluate the pilot's effectiveness in expanding access, improving identification of eligible children, reducing enrollment barriers, maintaining program quality under section 641A standards, and connecting families to services; and submit reports to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions—an initial report two years after implementation and a final report with recommendations 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—to partner with institutions of higher education, such as historically Black colleges or universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, minority-serving institutions, and Tribal Colleges or Universities (as defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965), in order to support or establish on-campus Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) serving student parents (i.e., postsecondary students whose children are eligible for Head Start). Grant applications must describe the partnership, requested funds, demonstrated need among student parents (including demographics, waiting lists, poverty concentrations, and geographic isolation), proposed activities for existing or new programs, available resources, and—for new programs—a timeline and plan for resources, community partnerships, and technical assistance. The Secretary must prioritize applications proposing partnerships with historically Black colleges or universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, or other minority-serving institutions (including Hispanic-serving institutions); serving underserved children or institutions with high student parent populations; or addressing student parents eligible for Federal Pell Grants. Grantees must submit annual reports detailing the population served, campus and community resources used, impacts on early childhood education services, and effects on student parents' educational opportunities; the Secretary may renew grants based on these reports and the partnering institution's good-faith efforts to provide access to such programs.

This section establishes a competitive grant program authorizing the Secretary to award funds to Head Start agencies, including Early Head Start agencies, to extend center-based services to full-working-day operations (which may include summer months). The Secretary reserves not less than 4.5% of funds for Native American and migrant/seasonal Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies), which must provide additional hours but need not offer full-working-day services unless deemed appropriate; remaining funds prioritize applications to (A) extend hours, (B) continue high-quality summer programs in communities with limited child care options, (C) serve underserved, rural, or persistent poverty populations, and (D) align with local family work schedules. Grant funds may be used for (1) staff compensation, particularly for extended hours, or (2) facility upgrades, furniture, materials, supplies, and other operational costs associated with extended hours. (As background, Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services primarily to low-income children ages birth to five.)

This section establishes a competitive grant program under the Head Start Act authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) to partner with child care providers—particularly those receiving Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds—to enable child care providers to meet Head Start program performance standards under section 641A(a). Partnerships must be contractual and may include (1) financial support to expand child care programs, (2) professional development for child care staff, (3) blending CCDBG and Head Start funds to expand high-quality, full-day child care, (4) timelines for child care providers to meet performance standards, and (5) alignment with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework. The Secretary must prioritize applications proposing alignment with maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting programs under section 511 of the Social Security Act (i.e., MIECHV program), state-funded prekindergarten, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs, and CCDBG programs; provide technical assistance under Head Start section 648; and establish standards defining partnership responsibilities. Participating child care providers receiving grant assistance are exempt from Head Start designation renewal requirements under section 641(c) for 36 months. (Thus, partnering providers avoid recompetition for Head Start funding due to performance deficiencies during this period.)

This section revises the special rules in section 657G(b) of the Head Start Act by (1) retaining the 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 and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, consistent with section 642(j)(3). (Head Start is the primary federal program providing comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and services to low-income children and families.)