On September 2, 2026, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Head Start (OHS) published a forecast on Grants.gov for Head Start/Early Head Grants in Multiple States. This is the long-awaited round of DRS competitions, with $818,390,366 in program funding available. OHS expects to make 255 Fiscal Year 2027 awards under the forecasted Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

In the first two and a half weeks after the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to substantially change the Head Start Program Performance Standards (Performance Standards) was published, more than 4,000 comments were submitted in on Regulations.gov. The NPRM, Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs, was published on August 7, and comments are due by October 6, 2026.

Many Head Start programs are part of larger agencies (e.g., Community Action Agencies) that serve vulnerable populations, such as veterans, seniors, or individuals with disabilities, in addition to children and families. If your agency serves seniors, you may want to consider the Older Adults Home Modification Grant Program (OAHMP). OAHMP provides non-profits and other eligible entities an opportunity to support low-income seniors’ housing needs.

On August 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs. In advance of the NPRM’s release, ACF highlighted key componentsof the NPRM as empowering Head Start parents; emphasizing health, nutrition, and physical exercise; increasing access to Head Start slots by reducing administrative costs, and aligning licensing standards with state early childhood systems.

Head Start programs are foundational to a high-quality early childhood system in communities across the county. Over the last few years, there have been periods of uncertainty with regard to the Head Start budget, staffing challenges, and changes to regulations, to name a few. At the local level, we often hear from programs that are juggling decisions about funding and their program design, all while managing the day-to-day of operating a Head Start program.

Foundations for Families’ DRS Updates and EHS-CCP blogs are revamped into Head Start News. Head Start News provides a space to share timely updates on regulatory requirements, Office of Head Start priorities, and Notices of Funding Opportunities for DRS and other grant competitions, as well as tips, strategies, and resources to support compliance and continuous program improvement.