HHS has proposed eliminating federal Head Start standards on staff-child ratios, group sizes, and staff qualifications — handing those decisions to the states. The pitch is that fewer rules mean more childcare spots.
But a NAEYC survey of nearly 4,000 early childhood educators found more than half would likely leave the field if ratios went up. You don't fix a childcare shortage by making the job worse for the people already doing it.
Source: NAEYC, Coherence, Not Cuts: Educator Perspectives on How to Improve ECE Regulation (September 2026).
Regulation First isn't a nice idea we put on a poster — it's the reason our ratios and our staff qualifications are the floor, not the ceiling. Good care and enough care aren't a trade-off. They're the same problem.
Your voice belongs in the record. Read the proposed rule and submit a comment on the Federal Register — then share this with someone who should do the same. 🌿