Home Grown’s Response to the Office of Head Start (OHS) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) “Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming”

Home Grown is grateful for this opportunity to provide comments in response to the Office of Head Start (OHS) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) entitled “Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming,” introduced to add new guidance and clarity to the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS).

We appreciate the Administration’s persistent use of the powers of the executive branch to recognize the value of high-quality early learning opportunities for young children, the urgent need of families across the United States to access quality child care (particularly families with limited resources) and the need of the early learning workforce to earn family-sustaining wages for their critically necessary work. Our recommendations aim to ensure that family child care (FCC) providers, who constitute a vital part of the Head Start workforce, can share in the benefits of the changes proposed by the Administration for the Head Start workforce and help meet the need for high-quality, accessible and affordable early care and education.

Stephen Cutty, a home-based child care provider in California, is one of a small number of male child care providers. He calls running his business "the greatest experience of [his] life."
Philadelphia-based FCC provider Adrienne Briggs reflects on the success of the 2025 Family Child Care Awareness Day in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and shares why it is important for FCC providers to come together and advocate for what they need.
Family child care (FCC) is often a first choice for families who prefer to keep their children in mixed-aged groups together in one setting. Many states, however, do not include FCCs in their mixed-delivery system which eliminates this option for most parents. This blog post examines why states should consider including FCC in mixed-delivery pre-K systems.