Resource Center

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently proposed changes to the rigorous standards for Head Start programs that have been in place for over 50 years. The changes include a mandate for Head Start programs to provide instruction only in English and to discontinue multilingual services. The mandate also would halt programs from collecting important data on young emergent bilingual children (referred to in the announcement as “dual language learners”).

The rule change would directly impact 19,000 young children in Head Start programs across the country, effectively cutting off their access to effective early childhood education (Habben & Kim, 2025).

Decades of research show that providing accessible, affirming education in young children’s home language fosters literacy learning, positive school outcomes and social development (Johnson, 2017). Investments in strong bilingual education programs build on students’ early language instruction and result in academic gains (Perez & Latham Sikes, 2026). Children in families with limited economic means should not be denied early education in a language they understand.

IDRA will provide updates on federal rule changes that affect young emergent bilingual students.

Resources

Federal Register. (August 7, 2026). A Proposed Rule by the Children and Families Administration.

Habben, K., & Kim, V. (August 2025). A Data Profile of Young Dual Language Learners and Implications for Early Childhood Programs. Migration Policy Institute.

Johnson, P. (September 2017). Investing in Early Childhood Education Programs Yields High Returns. IDRA Newsletter.

Perez, A., & Latham Sikes, C. (January 2026). Effective Investment in Early Education – How Texas School Districts Use the Early Education Allotment and Its Impact on Student Learning – IDRA Research Brief. IDRA.

[© 2026, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the September edition of the IDRA Newsletter. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]