Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in opposing proposed federal changes to the Head Start program.
The coalition submitted a comment letter opposing a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposal that would eliminate more than 1,400 regulations governing Head Start, an early childhood education program serving children from low-income families.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the proposed changes would eliminate requirements involving child-to-staff ratios, safety and transportation practices, staff training, services for children with disabilities and timelines for health, developmental and vision screenings. The proposal would also remove minimum service hours, limits on suspensions and a prohibition on expulsions.
The proposal would impose an English-only requirement and reduce the allowable cap for administrative and development costs from 15% to 5%.
HHS has described the proposal as an effort to return discretion to states and allow programs to respond to local conditions. The coalition argues the changes could create disparities between states and reduce access to services.
Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Maryland served more than 7,000 children and nearly 100 pregnant individuals in both 2024 and 2025.
Brown joined attorneys general from 22 other states and the District of Columbia, along with Kentucky’s governor, in submitting the letter.
