Supporting Toddlers And Readiness for Tomorrow (START)

Too many eligible children are missing out on Head Start - a program that gives kids a stronger start, helps families thrive, and strengthens our communities. Only a 17% of those who qualify are currently served.

My Supporting Toddlers and Readiness for Tomorrow (START) Act will ensure every eligible child has access, with responsible-oversight, local control, and a focus on measurable results.

Only 17%

Currently Served

A responsible path to reach every eligible child.

For 60 years Head Start and Early Head Start have helped children enter school healthier, better prepared, and ready to learn. They have also helped parents work, attend school, and build stronger futures for their families. Yet millions of children who qualify are still unable to participate because the program has never been funded to reach everyone who is eligible.

My START Plan would create a responsible 10-year plan to expand access, strengthen the early childhood workforce, preserve local control, and require Congress to measure both the cost of the investment and the long-term value it creates.

Head Start currently serves approximately 833,000 children through locally administered programs across the country. According to the estimates, that represents only about 17% of the children who may be eligible to participate. The remaining children are not excluded because Head Start failed. They are left out because Congress has never provided enough funding, classrooms, facilities, or qualified educators to serve them all.

This plan is a phased 10-year expansion of Head Start and Early Head Start with a priority given to states and communities where the coverage gap is greatest. The plan would use the local Head Start infrastructure that already exists, invest in the workforce required to expand responsibly, and reate public reporting requirements so Americans can see what the program costs, what it accomplishes, and where their money goes.

The challenges Congress must address…

  • Head Start has operated for 60 years and currently serves children through locally administered programs across the country. The infrastructure exists, but its reach remains limited by available funding and capacity.

  • Millions of children who may qualify for Head Start or Early Head Start are not currently enrolled. Families can face waiting lists, limited local availability, transportation barriers, and a shortage of available classrooms.

  • The cost of early childhood education appears in today’s budget. Many of its benefits, including higher earnings, reduced special education needs, and lower justice-system involvement, develop over years or decades. Traditional budget discussions do not always capture that full picture.

  • When children and families cannot access early support, governments may face higher costs later through special education, healthcare, income assistance, and the criminal justice system.

  • Head Start has survived changing administrations and shifting congressional majorities because its goals cross political lines: school readiness, parental employment, local decision-making, and responsible investment in children.

  • Head Start already operates through a federal-to-local model. The federal government establishes eligibility and quality requirements, while local organizations design and deliver services based on the needs of their communities. My proposal would preserve that structure as the program expands.

Supporting Toddlers and Readiness for Tomorrow

The Supporting Toddlers and Readiness for Tomorrow (START) Act is built around five provisions intended to expand access without sacrificing quality, local decision-making, or public accountability. Select each provision to learn how it would work.

  • The Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to create a phased plan to serve 100% of income-eligible children within 10 years.

    Within 180 days of enactment, HHS would be required to publish an expansion plan identifying:

    • The number of additional children to be served each year

    • The funding required during each phase

    • Facility and classroom needs

    • Workforce recruitment and training needs

    • The communities with the lowest current coverage rates

    The first phase would prioritize states and communities where eligible families currently have the least access.

  • The Act requires the Congressional Budget Office to publish an annual report examining the projected fiscal effects of Head Start expansion.

    The report would evaluate:

    • Changes in special education spending

    • Federal and state criminal justice costs

    • Tax revenue associated with higher lifetime earnings

    • Income-support spending affected by parental employment

    • Medicaid costs affected by earlier health intervention

    The report would be published alongside the president’s annual budget request so Congress could consider both the upfront cost and the projected long-term return when making appropriations decisions.

  • The Act preserves Head Start’s existing federal-to-local structure.

    Newly funded programs would be designed and administered by local grantees operating within federal eligibility, safety, and quality standards. The proposal would prohibit the federal government from imposing a single national curriculum or standardized delivery model as a condition of expansion funding.

    Local grantees could continue partnering with:

    • Public school systems

    • Private childcare providers

    • Faith-based organizations

    • Tribal programs

    • Community-based organizations

    • Other qualified local partners

  • Responsible expansion requires enough qualified educators to serve additional children without lowering program quality.

    The Act directs $5 billion over its first five years toward:

    • Salary parity with local public school kindergarten teachers

    • Tuition assistance for current Head Start employees

    • Recruitment partnerships with community colleges and HBCUs

    • Loan forgiveness for educators who commit to serving in underserved communities

    This provision recognizes that full access cannot be achieved without investing in the people responsible for delivering it.

  • The Act establishes an independent Head Start Full Coverage Board responsible for monitoring the expansion and reporting its results.

    The Board would publish annual information showing:

    • The number of newly enrolled children

    • Coverage rates by state

    • Progress toward full access

    • Projected economic returns

    • Actual outcomes as data become available

    The Board would provide transparency and oversight but would not have the authority to change program standards or reduce appropriated funding.

Congress should count both the cost of helping a child today and the cost of failing that child tomorrow.

“When we invest in a child’s education, we invest in the strength, stability, and future of the entire community.”
— Dr. Matt Gromlich

How we will pay for it

Expanding Head Start to every eligible child will require a significant federal investment. Matt’s proposal is built on the principle that Congress should evaluate that investment using the complete financial picture, not only the amount spent in the first year.

The Act would require the Congressional Budget Office to calculate the projected downstream effects of the expansion, including savings associated with special education, healthcare, income-support programs, and the criminal justice system, along with additional tax revenue associated with increased parental employment and higher lifetime earnings.

Congress would use that annual analysis when determining each phase of Head Start expansion funding.