Dear Head Start

Like so many programs, we begin a recent training with the incredible story of our very own parent experience — a story that mirrors the lives of more than 40 million children who have passed through the doors of Head Start in its remarkable 60-year history. What a celebration this is! What a triumph!

Head Start is not just a program — it is a movement. A beacon of hope. A force that has changed lives — not just for children, but for families, and entire communities, in countless unique and transformative ways.

Today, we honor these stories because they matter. And more than that — because Head Start matters. But I must also tell you: we are at a crossroads. Head Start is in imminent danger.

There are warnings — that the current administration is considering zeroing out all funding for Head Start. That would make this powerful, proven, beloved program null and void. Erased.

Let me be clear: we are not here to spread fear. We are here to ignite a fire of awareness, of courage, of unity, and of action and hope.

Because this — this is not the first time Head Start has come under attack. And if history tells us anything, it is that we have never backed down. We have never given up. And we have always prevailed.

We are here to remind the nation that Head Start is the future of the Nation.

Head Start stretches from the sunlit shores of Hawaii to the snowy reaches of Alaska… from bustling cities in California to native lands and islands in the Pacific, from Puerto Rico to the plains of Texas. We are in every corner of America — like electricity, like the postman — constant, reliable, essential. That is power.

We are also connected — through strong associations, united voices, and the unstoppable force of our shared mission. That is power.

Most importantly, we are the guardians of America’s promise — the promise that every child, no matter their zip code, no matter their background, deserves a real shot at the American Dream. And that shot begins with a Head Start.

Let us not forget — throughout the decades, from President Carter to President Reagan, from Speaker Newt Gingrich to countless others, attempts have been made to dismantle or dilute Head Start.

But we said NO.

We marched. We rallied. We wrote letters. We showed up in the streets and in the halls of Congress. And we saved Head Start — again and again.

We did it because we know that the secret to Head Start’s success lies in its federal-to-local structure, in parents, its community roots, and its deep trust in the people — in YOU — who deliver these services with heart, every single day.

And we will do it again.

This month, as we celebrate Head Start’s 60th milestone, we recommit ourselves to parents. We recommit to equipping you — the lifeblood of this program — we recommit by celebrating Head start with our community, with the tools, the knowledge, and the support you need to help yourselves, and to help parents, rise to this moment.

Some of you were with me when we marched in Downtown Los Angeles with Head Start parents. At the same time as others were marching in different cities. We weren’t just holding signs. We were holding the line. We were showing America who we are.

That day, we weren’t just parents or staff — we were warriors for children, for equity, and for the future.

We are educating you today so you can educate more parents— and together, we will educate Congress and the President. We will educate with love.

We will raise our voices. We will share our stories. We will protect this legacy. And we will ensure that Head Start not only survives — but continues to thrive.

Signed,

A Head Start Advocate