Head Start for Our Future Act

The Head Start for Our Future Act would expand the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to treat child development and early learning as community services, expressly including Head Start and Early Head Start programs as eligible work-sites for student employment. In addition, the bill imposes new requirements on Head Start and Early Head Start programs that hire students through work-study, ensuring compliance with Head Start Act standards and strengthening supervision and staffing controls. The overall aim is to create more work-study opportunities for students in early childhood settings while safeguarding program quality and child safety. Under the bill, any Head Start or Early Head Start program employing a student through FWS must meet specific conditions: prior to employment, the agency must satisfy certain Head Start Act requirements; the student must follow applicable personnel policies; and the student must serve as an additional paid staff member but cannot be left alone with children and cannot be counted toward staff-to-child ratios. These protections are mirrored for both Early Head Start and Head Start programs, tying work-study placements to established Head Start standards.