The Trump administration is reportedly planning a major overhaul of Head Start, which could strip back the antipoverty mission of the education program. In the long run, that could deepen the digital divide, ultimately impacting the future workforce and U.S. economy.
The proposed changes would remove most of Head Start’s requirements for math and literacy curriculums, as well as medical screenings and home visits.
The effort would curtail the program’s rules significantly, leaving specifics up to state and local officials. That would be a major shift from what has been called the gold standard early learning program. Head Start has been around since the 1960s and has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support.
“I’ve spent my career advocating for policies that expand opportunity and address systemic inequities,” wrote Brandi Slaughter, a clinical professor specializing in child and family policy at the University of Maryland, on LinkedIn. “Weakening the nation’s premier early childhood program moves us in the wrong direction. Investing in children has always been one of the smartest investments we can make—and maintaining high standards is part of that investment.”
A preschool program might not seem to have a direct link to the gap between people who have reliable access to digital technology, the internet, and digital skills training, and those who do not, but prior studies have shown that the digital divide starts early—and Head Start was well positioned to help close it.
A 2022 report from the National Head Start Association found the program helps ensure low-income children are able to keep up with their peers technically as they transition to a K-12 setting.
Head Start programs not only assist the children but also provide on-site internet access and extend device access to families. Administrators also connect those families to subsidy programs, such as the federal Emergency Broadband Benefit. Beyond promoting digital literacy, they instruct parents on how to protect children online and teach age-appropriate use of technology.
The assistance for the parents is, arguably, as important as the education for children.
The pandemic underscored the need for internet access and some digital know-how. The access can help parents look for higher-paying jobs, which (among other things) can help them arrange for a home internet connection. That, in turn, will give their children an educational boost.
“The Digital Divide originates with inequalities in children’s access to computers. It is deepened by disparities in teacher readiness to use computers for educational purposes,” wrote the authors of a 2006 academic paper titled “Narrowing the Digital Divide: Head Start Teachers Develop Proficiency in Computer Technology.”
One of Head Start’s achievements has been sparking interest in learning among low-income children. A 2022 report from the Child Development Association cited a Head Start program in Connecticut and its impact on digital education.
“Preschoolers from low-income families in an urban Head Start center who received daily access to computers and were supported by an adult mentor showed more positive attitudes toward learning, greater self-confidence and increased kindergarten readiness skills than children who had computer access but no support from a mentor,” the report said.
Head Start has been in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs for a while now. Last year the White House attempted to freeze spending on Head Start, calling it a “radical” program. Those efforts failed, in part, thanks to a coalition of parents and providers who filed lawsuits, leading a federal judge to block the administration’s efforts. Parents and educators argued that Head Start provides “crucial services” to communities in every state and region across the U.S.
Ultimately, technological literacy plays an important role in a child’s ability to succeed in school and later life. Yet many low-income children are not able to access and use technology in the first place.
Head Start programs not only reduce gaps in math and reading skills and increase motivation, they also help set up students for success. Curtailing or eliminating that access could have long-term economic and social effects that could last for years.
“Just as basic text literacy opens the door to a world of information and provides opportunities for learning, technology literacy grants access to the digital world and all of the learning opportunities it affords,” wrote researchers with the Rand Corp., a public policy think tank, in their 2014 paper examining the impact of early childhood education on bridging the digital divide.