Press ReleaseUrgent2026-09-15

Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen Joins Effort Calling Out Trump’s Attempt to Dismantle Head Start

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This press release from Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) was published on 2026-09-15 and titled "Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen Joins Effort Calling Out Trump’s Attempt to Dismantle Head Start".

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Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen Joins Effort Calling Out Trump’s Attempt to Dismantle Head Start

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), today joined fellow members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus in calling out the Trump Administration’s latest effort to dismantle Head Start, a critical program that provides early education, health services, and other support to children and families across the country. In a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the lawmakers push back on the administration’s proposed rule that would roll back longstanding health, safety, staffing, and educational standards, putting the quality and reliability of Head Start services at risk for families who depend on them. “Head Start ensures our most vulnerable kids have access to the care, nutrition, and health services they need in those early years. I am proud to be a voice for the parents, like me, who are enraged by the anti-family, backward agenda of this administration,” said Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen. "I will fight every effort by Trump to dismantle this program and work to protect Colorado families and kids across the country.” In the letter, the Members write,“in strong opposition to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed rule Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs .” They continue, “this proposed rule guts an essential early childhood program and its services for hundreds of thousands of women and families nationwide, which would increase their costs and burden to replace those services. In today’s environment of rising costs, it is cruel to make life more difficult and expensive for these families.” More than 11,000 Colorado children depend on Head Start, not to mention the massive shortfall in child care slots across the state – which is short of more than 82,000 total child care slots, with nearly 14,000 children actively on waitlists. Nevertheless, Trump’s proposed rule would diminish Head Start quality of services by rolling back vital HSPPS which outline certain program requirements and define quality standards. Therefore, the removal of these uniform federal safeguards allow programs to reduce staffing, qualifications, service hours, screenings, and support services. It does not directly order every program to provide worse care, but it permits—and financially anticipates—reductions that current rules prohibit. It will undermine its ability to develop evidence-based programs that improve education, health, nutrition, parental involvement, and social services—forcing families to either lose these resources or turn to more expensive options elsewhere. Head Start could no longer connect families to jobs, education, and housing opportunities or effectively help children succeed in school. For 60 years, Head Start has served over 40 million families and children with accessible social services, healthcare, and improved early learning standards. The program provides low-income children, children with disabilities, dual language learners, and children experiencing homelessness with the resources needed to succeed in school. Even after six decades, Head Start remains popular, with four in five Americans saying they’re in support of the program— evidence that Trump’s efforts to gut it are out of step with what Americans want. U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) has consistently pushed back against federal rollbacks targeting the Head Start program. Most recently, Pettersen introduced the Supporting Our Military Childcare Workforce Act, which would take steps to address the childcare workforce crisis. She is a member of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee. The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below. Dear Secretary Kennedy: We, as members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, write in strong opposition to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed rule Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs [RIN 070-AD0].1 This proposed rule would strip the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) of more than 90 percent of its standards, likely taking away vital services from children and families.2 It eliminates and substantially weakens federal requirements governing early learning, health, mental health, and dental services, safety standards family engagement and family social services, and other services that have defined Head Start for six decades. This proposed rule guts an essential early childhood program and its services for hundreds of thousands of women and families nationwide, which would increase their costs and burden to replace those services. In today’s environment of rising costs, it is cruel to make life more difficult and expensive for these families. I. Undermining Congressional Intent This proposed rule is not modernization. It is the largest rollback of Head Start quality protections in the program’s history, and it will fall hardest on low-income children, children with disabilities, dual language learners, and chi

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Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen Joins Effort Calling Out Trump’s Attempt to Dismantle Head Start WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), today joined fellow members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus in calling out the Trump Administration’s latest effort to dismantle Head Start, a critical program that provides early education, health services, and other support to children and families across the country. In a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the lawmakers push back on the administration’s proposed rule that would roll back longstanding health, safety, staffing, and educational standards, putting the quality and reliability of Head Start services at risk for families who depend on them. “Head Start ensures our most vulnerable kids have access to the care, nutrition, and health services they need in those early years. I am proud to be a voice for the parents, like me, who are enraged by the anti-family, backward agenda of this administration,” said Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen. "I will fight every effort by Trump to dismantle this program and work to protect Colorado families and kids across the country.” In the letter, the Members write,“in strong opposition to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed rule Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs .” They continue, “this proposed rule guts an essential early childhood program and its services for hundreds of thousands of women and families nationwide, which would increase their costs and burden to replace those services. In today’s environment of rising costs, it is cruel to make life more difficult and expensive for these families.” More than 11,000 Colorado children depend on Head Start, not to mention the massive shortfall in child care slots across the state – which is short of more than 82,000 total child care slots, with nearly 14,000 children actively on waitlists. Nevertheless, Trump’s proposed rule would diminish Head Start quality of services by rolling back vital HSPPS which outline certain program requirements and define quality standards. Therefore, the removal of these uniform federal safeguards allow programs to reduce staffing, qualifications, service hours, screenings, and support services. It does not directly order every program to provide worse care, but it permits—and financially anticipates—reductions that current rules prohibit. It will undermine its ability to develop evidence-based programs that improve education, health, nutrition, parental involvement, and social services—forcing families to either lose these resources or turn to more expensive options elsewhere. Head Start could no longer connect families to jobs, education, and housing opportunities or effectively help children succeed in school. For 60 years, Head Start has served over 40 million families and children with accessible social services, healthcare, and improved early learning standards. The program provides low-income children, children with disabilities, dual language learners, and children experiencing homelessness with the resources needed to succeed in school. Even after six decades, Head Start remains popular, with four in five Americans saying they’re in support of the program— evidence that Trump’s efforts to gut it are out of step with what Americans want. U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) has consistently pushed back against federal rollbacks targeting the Head Start program. Most recently, Pettersen introduced the Supporting Our Military Childcare Workforce Act, which would take steps to address the childcare workforce crisis. She is a member of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee. The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below. Dear Secretary Kennedy: We, as members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, write in strong opposition to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed rule Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs [RIN 070-AD0].1 This proposed rule would strip the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) of more than 90 percent of its standards, likely taking away vital services from children and families.2 It eliminates and substantially weakens federal requirements governing early learning, health, mental health, and dental services, safety standards family engagement and family social services, and other services that have defined Head Start for six decades. This proposed rule guts an essential early childhood program and its services for hundreds of thousands of women and families nationwide, which would increase their costs and burden to replace those services. In today’s environment of rising costs, it is cruel to make life more difficult and expensive for these families. I. Undermining Congressional Intent This proposed rule is not modernization. It is the largest rollback of Head Start quality protections in the program’s history, and it will fall hardest on low-income children, children with disabilities, dual language learners, and chi