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Massachusetts Head Start leaders warn federal rule will impose costly new mandates without extra funding
Summary
Michelle Hamowitz of the Massachusetts Head Start Association told the Department of Early Education and Care board that a sweeping federal Head Start final rule raises workforce, health and eligibility requirements that many Massachusetts programs cannot implement without additional funds and could force programs to reduce slots.
Michelle Hamowitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association, told the Department of Early Education and Care board on Sept. 11 that a newly finalized federal Head Start Program Performance Standards rule includes “first‑of‑its‑kind wage and benefit requirements” and a string of other changes that will be costly for local programs to implement.
Hamowitz said the 300‑plus‑page rule requires Head Start programs to align staff pay by 2031 with local public preschool teacher salaries and to meet a separate salary floor intended to cover basic needs. The rule also expands mental‑health consultation obligations, requires regular staff breaks by 2027, and tightens eligibility calculations and attendance supports, she said. “Many of these changes come without any additional funding to implement many costly regulations,” Hamowitz told the board.
The association represents 28 Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Massachusetts that collectively serve more than 10,000 children. Hamowitz warned that if Congress does not provide additional funds, programs could be forced “to reduce the number of children they can serve” to absorb rising wage and benefit costs and new service requirements.
She urged continued state support, including use of recently codified state programs and supplemental grants, and said her group will press the congressional delegation for funding. “We’ll be working closely with our congressional delegation to advocate for increased federal Head Start funds,” she said, and expressed gratitude for state efforts to backfill some costs through supplemental programs.
Board members and agency staff acknowledged the magnitude of the standards and noted the pressure they create across the mixed‑delivery early education system, where Head Start programs and other providers share workforce and service networks. The commissioner said the department will continue partnering with Head Start leaders and other stakeholders as federal implementation proceeds.
The board did not take any formal action on the federal rule during the meeting. Hamowitz offered to meet with board members and staff to review details and next steps.
