Highlights from the 2025 National Head Start Conference

The 2025 National Head Start Conference, which took place May 19-22 in Columbus, Ohio, was an incredible gathering of experts and peers. Thank you to everyone who attended our session on wage comparability. It was wonderful seeing familiar faces and meeting new Head Start leaders!There were many sessions, luncheons, and events at the conference, and we were fortunate to participate as presenters and attendees. Here, we share some of the federal updates we learned from NHSA and other interesting information to support the Head Start community.Many attendees of the conference were interested in From Congress to Classrooms: NHSA’s Federal Update, where NHSA leaders reiterated the organization’s non-partisan commitment to leading and advocating, being a voice for Head Start, and supporting policy changes that benefit vulnerable children and families. NHSA leaders reflected on the evolving priorities of the federal administration and the current status of Head Start.They also acknowledged the ups and downs of Head Start in 2025. It began with a funding freeze in January, saw layoffs of Office of Head Start (OHS) staff in February, and progressed through the closing of five regional offices in April. This month, OHS announced an interim realignment of the regional offices. Now, while Head Start is included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Skinny Budget, continued uncertainty about the final budget remains. This highlights the importance of continued advocacy.In an open discussion, Voice of Head Start: A Town Hall with NHSA Leadership, the broad appeal and support of Head Start nationwide was highlighted, along with its economic importance. NHSA leaders discussed the impact of new Information Memoranda and encouraged attendees to be curious, ask questions, and open their perspective when it comes to the path forward for Head Start. Attendees asked questions about a variety of topics. What is the status of the most recent round of DRS competitions? These were the applications submitted in January 2025, and grant negotiations have just begun. What about the status of RAN (Risk Assessment Notification) reviews? And the Full Enrollment Initiative (FEI)? There is uncertainty in these areas, and NHSA will share more information when it is available. Supporting full enrollment remains essential for programs in FEI and those who may be experiencing enrollment challenges.The Public Policy Luncheon was an exciting opportunity to hear from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and other regional chambers. Presenters spoke about the role of chambers and the value in engaging the business community. This ties to chambers’ work at the intersection of supporting the future workforce (need for quality of education) and the current/potential workforce (need for child care).Great resources were shared, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Untapped Potential: Economic Impact of Childcare Breakdowns in the U.S. and one of their most recent state reports, Untapped Potential Report: Ohio. Interested to learn more about what’s happening in your state? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is building a collection of state resources; currently, there are reports on Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.We had a packed room at Wage Comparability: Moving from Compliant to Actionable, where attendees learned not only about regulations, but how a high-quality wage comparability study supports recruitment and retention of program staff, program planning, and budgeting. We talked about the steps for completing a wage comparability study that is compliant and a useful program tool. If you missed our session, check out our wage comparability services and recent blog post, Wage Comparability Studies and the Staffing Crisis, an Interview with Jane Hanson.We encourage you to explore Foundations for Families’ Consulting Services. If your program needs assistance, please be in touch. Our team of consultants will work with your program to determine a process, timeline, and approach that is the best fit for your program's needs.Thank you.Thank you for reading our blog. We encourage you to use our blog posts for thought, integration, and sharing. When using or sharing content from blog posts, please attribute the original content to Foundations for Families.