ALEXANDRIA, VA — The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is alarmed by today’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) that will require Head Start programs to check the citizenship or immigration status of children prior to their enrollment. This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future. Head Start programs strive to make every child feel welcome, safe, and supported, and reject the characterization of any child as “illegal.”
