Media Release: Head Start California Thanks Central Valley Congressmember David Valadao
Date postedOctober 14, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2026
Head Start California Thanks Central Valley Congressmember David Valadao for Letter Opposing Proposed Federal Rule Changes That Threaten Head Start Quality
SACRAMENTO, CA — Head Start California applauds Congressmember David Valadao (R-CA-22) for his letter expressing serious concern about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would undermine the comprehensive services Head Start programs provide to Central Valley children and families.
Congressman Valadao emphasizes in his letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy and Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams that the “proposed rulemaking would fundamentally reshape the nationwide Head Start
program by eliminating performance standards that have been central to its success for decades.”
“For more than sixty years, the Head Start program has provided infants and toddlers in the Central Valley and across the country with the early childhood development and education they need to build a strong foundation for success. Head Start serves our most vulnerable children and families and has a proven track record of ensuring foster, disabled, and homeless youth receive the support they need to keep pace with their peers. The Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) threatens to undermine these critical services and the continued success of Head Start programs in my district.”
Head Start California echoes Congressman Valadao's call for HHS to fully consider the negative impacts of this rule and preserve the foundational standards that guarantee high-quality, comprehensive early education across California.
"Head Start programs serve our most vulnerable children and families, providing a proven foundation for lifelong success,” said Melanee Cottrill, Executive Director of Head Start California. "We commend Congressman Valadao for standing up for Central Valley families and demanding that HHS preserve the Head Start Performance Standards that have helped ensure high-quality services and positive outcomes for Central Valley children and families.”
In his letter, Congressman Valadao highlighted several ways the proposed federal rule would dismantle decades of successful performance standards under the guise of flexibility:
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Drastic Increases in Classroom Sizes: The proposed rule projects a 32 percent increase in the average number of children per teacher to achieve cost savings, which would raise typical ratios and compromise the individualized attention essential for young learners.
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Undermining Dual Language Learners: Roughly 70 percent of students in Central Valley Head Start programs speak two languages, yet the proposed rule implements a rigid English-only requirement for instructional time that ignores the reality of early childhood development and extensive research supporting native-language instruction.
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Severe Administrative Caps: Cutting administrative cost caps from 15 percent down to 5 percent would severely restrict local programs, such as those operated by the Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO), Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK), Tulare County Office of Education, and Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO), from managing essential day-to-day operations like IT and human resources.
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Creating Dangerous Uncertainty: The lack of clear timelines for waiver requests and appeals would leave providers in administrative limbo, compounding existing federal processing delays that have stretched up to nine months or longer.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Melanee Cottrill, Head Start California Executive Director, melanee@headstartca.org
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