Duckworth Visits Illinois Head Start, Calls Out Trump’s New Plan to Jeopardize This Lifeline for Families

Duckworth Visits Illinois Head Start, Calls Out Trump's New Plan to Jeopardize This Lifeline for Families

[CHICAGO, IL] - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined parents, teachers and Illinois Head Start leaders to underscore how President Donald Trump's latest attack on Head Start would jeopardize services for countless middle-class families across Illinois, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet as a direct result of the Trump Administration's reckless policies. The Senator's visit comes after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a plan last month to scrap roughly 1,400 regulations that would fundamentally change how Head Start is able to serve our children, potentially reducing care hours, increasing staff-to-child ratios and eliminating certain health and developmental screening requirements. At a time when middle-class families are enduring higher costs across the board, this latest proposal has significantly raised concerns about the quality and consistency of Head Start services for children and families that depend on them. Photos from today's event are available on the Senator's website.

"Donald Trump's latest attack on Head Start would put yet another lifeline at risk for families who depend on it most," said Senator Duckworth. "If enacted, this deregulation plan would fundamentally change how Head Start is run and jeopardize its ability to care for our children. It would reduce the hours that Head Start can be available for parents who depend on it, eliminate health screenings and even dramatically increase class sizes that could overwhelm our teachers and underserve our children."

"If the President cares about families at all, he needs to keep his hands off Head Start. Together, we'll keep fighting back and ensure this lifeline remains as strong as it can be."

"The Trump Administration is calling the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposal-which removes most requirements related to teaching and learning, quality standards, health and mental health services, dental care, developmental screenings, and family support services-'flexibility.' However, the complete opposite is true. For Head Start children and families, this could mean losing critical protections and services built over decades. In the Administration's own words, they estimate that these changes will lead to fewer services and lower quality. Eliminating these standards is not cutting red tape; it is cutting the safeguards that help our nation's most vulnerable children succeed. We are grateful to Senator Duckworth for standing with Head Start children, families, and the dedicated workforce that serves them and for recognizing that protecting Head Start means protecting the future of our communities," said Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, Executive Director of Illinois Head Start Association.

Head Start serves approximately 28,000 children and pregnant women across all 102 counties in Illinois, supported by roughly 8,500 staff. In Chicago, about one in four child care slots are connected to centers that receive Head Start funding.

Duckworth has been outspoken in pushing back against Trump Administration policies that threaten Head Start and the families who rely on it across Illinois. Last year, she joined Governor JB Pritzker, parents, teachers and Head Start staff at Two Rivers Head Start in Elgin to highlight the impact of the Administration's funding decisions on Illinois families and providers. In April 2025, Duckworth and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined their colleagues in calling on the Administration to release withheld Head Start funding and reverse staff firings. Additionally, Duckworth helped reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act to make high-quality child care more affordable and accessible for families nationwide as Trump and Republicans choose to spend trillions on new tax cuts for billionaires instead of investing in middle-class families. She also hosted Illinois Head Start Association Executive Director Lauri Morrison-Frichtl as her guest at President Trump's Joint Address to Congress in 2025.

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