Expanding Head Start Eligibility Act of 2025

This bill would make it easier for more low‑income families to qualify for Head Start. If a family already qualifies for certain public benefits, their children would be counted as eligible for Head Start without extra paperwork. This helps families get early education, health, and family support services sooner.

It adds families who qualify for WIC, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, and federal housing assistance (often called Section 8). It also clearly includes families who qualify for TANF, SSI, and SNAP. States that run their own food help programs with rules similar to SNAP would count too, so those families’ children could join Head Start as well. The official purpose is to update the Head Start Act to include these types of public assistance as a direct path to eligibility.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Families on WIC, SNAP, TANF, SSI, FDPIR, Section 8 housing, and similar state food programs; their children become eligible for Head Start.
• What changes: Head Start eligibility expands to cover children in families already receiving these benefits, simplifying access to early learning and support services.
• When: The bill proposes these changes by updating the Head Start Act; no specific start date is provided in the summary.