Tlaib Introduces Bill to Expand Head Start to 11 Million Children

The Head Start for America's Children Act would make high-quality early education accessible to millions more working-class families.

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Chair of the Congressional Mamas' Caucus, alongside Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12), introduced the Head Start for America's Children Act. This legislation would expand Head Start to serve over 11 million young children from working-class families, raise educator pay, and invest in comprehensive support services for families.

Why it matters

Head Start provides critical early education and support services for millions of children and families, but the Trump Administration has continued to undermine the program. This bill aims to strengthen and expand Head Start to ensure more working families can access high-quality early learning opportunities.

The details

The Head Start for America's Children Act would fully fund Head Start to serve 11 million eligible children, align program hours with working families' schedules, raise educator pay to at least $60,000 a year, provide recruitment and retention incentives, expand partnerships, strengthen the educator pipeline, improve mental health services, and invest in facility upgrades.

  • The bill was introduced in February 2026.

The players

Rashida Tlaib

Congresswoman representing Michigan's 12th district and Chair of the Congressional Mamas' Caucus.

Summer Lee

Congresswoman representing Pennsylvania's 12th district and co-lead on the legislation.

Bernie Sanders

U.S. Senator from Vermont and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).

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What they’re saying

“Head Start is a lifeline to countless families in every state and our government must invest in this program to make sure it reaches every eligible young child, not cut it. As Chair of the Congressional Mamas' Caucus, I will continue to lead efforts in Congress to defend this critical funding and do everything in my power to fully fund Head Start. I am proud to join Senator Sanders in introducing this legislation to expand Head Start eligibility to over 10 million new children, raise educator pay, and invest in comprehensive support services for our families.”

— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (house.gov)

“Head Start has transformed the lives of generations of children and families, and expanding it through the Head Start for America's Children Act honors the dignity and potential of every child, no matter their zip code. Working parents deserve to know their kids are safe, supported, and receiving high quality early education while they pursue opportunity. As a co-lead of this legislation, I am proud it invests in early educators and strengthens our communities by building a more just future for our children.”

— Congresswoman Summer Lee (house.gov)

“In the richest country in the history of the world, we have a moral responsibility to provide high-quality early childhood education and child care for our children. Instead, President Trump has illegally withheld funds from Head Start and slashed critical programs for children and families to pay for $1 trillion in tax breaks for the top 1% and over $900 billion in tax breaks for large corporations. I have a different idea: Let's expand and fully fund Head Start to make sure it reaches every eligible young child, extend the length of programs so working families don't have to find additional child care and raise teacher pay so educators are not forced to leave the field or work a second job just to make ends meet.”

— Senator Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) (house.gov)

What’s next

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The takeaway

This legislation aims to make high-quality early education and comprehensive support services accessible to millions more working-class families across the country, investing in children, educators, and communities.