Trump's HHS scraps the rule that would have raised Head Start teacher pay by about $10,000

The Trump administration has scrapped a rule that would have required most Head Start programs to raise teacher pay to match local public school pre-K teachers by 2031.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families finalized the rollback on Friday. The rule, "Restoring Flexibility To Support Head Start Program Access," is set for publication in the Federal Register on Monday, Nov. 16, and takes effect Jan. 15, 2027. It strikes the wage and benefit requirements the Biden administration added to the Head Start Performance Standards in 2024.

What teachers lose

Under the 2024 rule, programs with more than 200 slots had to bring teacher pay up to local public pre-K salaries by 2031, or to 90% of local kindergarten teacher pay where there is no public pre-K, EdWeek reported. HHS had estimated that would raise the average Head Start teacher's pay by about $10,000. Average Head Start teacher pay has been under $40,000, compared with more than $70,000 for public school teachers. In October 2023, 15% of Head Start staff positions were vacant, according to a National Head Start Association survey.

What HHS claims

HHS calls the pay requirements "costly and overly prescriptive" and "a burdensome unfunded mandate." It says the rollback saves programs more than $2 billion and keeps about 106,000 classroom slots from being cut. HHS says programs can still raise pay on their own.

"A strong Head Start program depends on a stable, qualified workforce," said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association. The group said dropping the rule "does not change competitive pressures or eliminate the staffing shortages" that keep some programs from opening classrooms. The National Association for the Education of Young Children said "HHS frames this as a choice between paying educators and serving children."

Part of a pattern

The rollback is part of a pattern of Trump administration moves against Head Start. For example:

• April 2025: HHS closed five Head Start regional offices and fired staff. A federal judge blocked those moves on Jan. 6, 2026.
• July 2025: HHS moved to bar some immigrant families from Head Start. A judge paused that nationwide on Sept. 11, 2025.
• Aug. 6, 2026: HHS proposed rolling back Head Start quality standards, including staff-to-child ratios. That proposal is still pending.

Sources

• Restoring Flexibility To Support Head Start Program Access (final rule record), Federal Register
• Trump Admin. Finalizes Rollback of Required Raises for Head Start Teachers, Education Week
• Trump administration puts end to mandated boost in Head Start pay, K-12 Dive
• A Timeline of the Trump Administration's Efforts to Eliminate Head Start, National Women's Law Center