Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego ready to ‘get into the fight’ against proposed changes to Head Start

PHOENIX — Arizona U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego is pushing back on proposed changes to the federal Head Start early learning and development program.

Gallego met with local Head Start providers and parents Friday to hear their thoughts on the proposal. He said that with already long lines to get into childcare centers, cutting any federal support could impact the quality of the program.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Head Start proposal is sparking concerns among providers and with parents.

Head Start provides free childcare for kids under 5 and supports families living at or below the federal poverty line. It also offers help for children with special needs, nutrition programs and other family services. In Arizona, about 17,000 children were enrolled as of 2025.

If the new rules are adopted, federal regulations on classroom size maximums, requirements for developmental screenings for children and other aspects of Head Start would change.

The department said the proposal could reduce government burden and restore flexibility to the program.

However, the Arizona Head Start Association believes the changes would threaten classroom quality and child safety.

Local Head Start leaders say that the new guidelines provide no extra funding and could make it harder for teachers to provide individualized instruction and disability inclusion.

Gallego pointed to proposed reductions in federal costs and increases in class sizes as concerns.

“Going from 15% to 5% administrative costs is going to make them lose a lot of very valuable people that understand the ins and outs of how to do childcare. The ratio size changing means that quality is going to be diminished,” the Democratic senator said during Friday’s event.

Luis Bracamontes is a parent with three children who have gone through the Head Start program. He said his biggest concern is having teachers unable to focus on helping his kids grow. If class sizes grow, that individual care may not be possible.

“I know that I feel a little bit safer when there are two people in the classroom with my kid. … Me alone having to do three kids is a lot. So, I can only imagine one teacher having to deal with eight. It’s just a lot to handle,” he said.

Bracamontes wants the program to continue as it is without changes.

“I’ve seen our kids develop into where they are now. And like, kids are our future … we don’t want to cut that. We’re hurting them more than we’re helping them,” he said.

The Arizona Head Start Association is calling for the proposed changes to be withdrawn. Gallego said he will work to achieve that goal.

“Hearing it personally, how it’s going to affect the people that have dedicated their time and life to it, hearing from a father how Head Start has impacted his life and his three kids, just kind of reinvigorates me to make sure we get into the fight to protect Head Start,” Gallego said.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

Subscribe to the KTAR Eyes on Education newsletter to get our top education stories, exclusive guest interviews and more to your email inbox.

Related

Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe damaged by monsoon storm activityESA reform Prop 212 won’t make Arizona voters’ ballot, per a court rulingPhoenix Children’s uses model patients to teach healthcare workers new skillsNAACP to file complaint after Peoria Unified pulls books on people of color from K-8 classesNew app helps Arizona ESA families check purchases, avoid fraud accusationsDining hall workers suing ASU over First Amendment right to protest working conditions