More than 10,700 Colorado children walk into a Head Start or Early Head Start classroom every day. For many families, it’s the only care and education they can find or afford.
Last week, the federal government proposed a rule that would strip away the federal standards protecting those kids: group sizes and ratios, staff qualifications, background checks, and transportation safety. It also caps how much programs can spend on the critical administrative work that keeps kids safe. The administration calls it “cutting red tape.” But really it means fewer protections for kids who can least afford to lose them.
Head Start in Colorado
- 10,710 kids enrolled in Colorado Head Start and Early Head Start
- 1,530 kids experiencing homelessness enrolled
- 406 kids in foster care enrolled
- 1,629 education staff employed (2024, FFYF)
- $165,021,043 in total federal funding (2024, FFYF)
Take Action
Contact your member of Congress. Ask them to push the federal government and ACF to withdraw the rule and invite them to see a local Head Start program firsthand.