New rule bars undocumented kids from Head Start child care

The Trump administration is barring undocumented immigrant children from Head Start child care, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday.

Head Start serves 73,476 children from low-income families in California, according to an EdSource analysis. It is unclear how many of those children may be undocumented because the programs have never required documentation of immigration status as a condition of enrollment, according to the National Head Start Association.

In announcing the changes, Kennedy said, “For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration.”

(Update, July 16: The ACLU and other groups have taken legal action to challenge the Trump administration's policy to bar children without legal status from Head Start programs. Read more.)

The departments of Education and Labor also announced that they are barring undocumented immigrants from federal career and technical education and adult education programs.

Undocumented immigrants are already barred from using most federal programs, but a 1998 notice allowed them to access some benefits for low-income families with young children.

The National Head Start Association issued a statement of “alarm” in response.

“Attempts to impose such a requirement threaten to create fear and confusion among all families who are focused on raising healthy children, ready to succeed in school and life,” said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the association.

Advocates and educators are concerned that the announcement could deter some parents from enrolling their U.S. citizen children in Head Start.

“We guarantee every kid an education in this country, regardless of status,” Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, told the L.A. Times. “That shouldn’t be different in terms of early education, and certainly not when it comes to Head Start.”

The announcement is expected to be published in the Federal Registry on July 14, at which point the public will be able to submit comments for 30 days.