Washington, D.C. | October 6, 2026 - The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce submitted comments to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on its proposed rule, “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs” (Docket No. ACF-2026-0595).

NPRCC supports the proposal’s goals of reducing administrative burden and expanding local flexibility. Our comments address one provision: proposed § 1301.04(a), which would require programs to conduct all education to children in English. The proposal would also remove current standards that support both English acquisition and home language development for dual language learners, and that require staff who can communicate with children and their families.

For the stakeholders we serve, Head Start is an economic issue. It allows working parents to stay in the workforce, it is a significant local employer, and it builds the skills of the next generation of workers. In FY 2025, Head Start programs in Puerto Rico supported 25,671 funded slots, 10,149 employees, and 701 centers. NPRCC strongly supports English proficiency, and a workforce fluent in both English and Spanish is a competitive advantage for Puerto Rico and for Puerto Rican families stateside. Our comments urged ACF to:

Require programs to promote English acquisition for every child, while permitting instruction in the child’s home language alongside English
At minimum, exempt programs in Puerto Rico and other areas where English is not the predominant community language, provided they show progress in English acquisition
Retain staffing and family communication protections so parents can communicate with the staff who care for their children
Make any waiver available to Puerto Rico grantees through a single, multi-year, territory-wide process with clear criteria and timelines
Provide a phased implementation timeline, technical assistance, and assessment tools valid for Spanish-speaking children, and consult with the Government of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico grantees before finalizing any language provision

A targeted revision would protect parents’ ability to work, the stability of local employers, and the long-term bilingual talent pipeline on the island and stateside.

Read our full comments

Learn more about the proposed rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/07/2026-16134/reducing-federal-burden-for-head-start-programs