H.R. 9958

Head Start Expansion and Improvement Act of 2026

Sponsor: Jahana Hayes

22 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Head Start Expansion and Improvement Act of 2026

This bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and otherwise revises Head Start programs.

Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for Head Start programs to include families with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level. The bill also adds a definition for public assistance under the Head Start Act to include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Supplemental Security Income (SSI); the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program to make grants to Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies) to construct or improve facilities. HHS must also establish and carry out a program to make grants to Head Start agencies for increasing the compensation paid to employees.

The bill also provides student loan forgiveness for certain Head Start and Early Head Start child care workers. In particular, the Department of Education must cancel the outstanding balance of principal, interest, and fees due on Federal Direct Loans for a borrower who (1) has been employed full-time by a Head Start or Early Head Start program for three years, and (2) has provided care or instruction to children enrolled in such a program.

Text of the bill

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Sec. 6. Loan forgiveness for Head Start and Early Head Start childcare workers

Part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

460A. Loan cancellation for Head Start and Early Head Start childcare workers

(a) Program authorized. The Secretary shall carry cancel the balance of interest, principal, and fees due, in accordance with subsection (b), on any eligible Federal Direct Loan not in default for a borrower who for a 3-year (consecutive or non-consecutive) period after the date of enactment of the Head Start Expansion and Improvement Act of 2026—

(1) has been employed, on a full-time basis, by a Head Start program or an Early Head Start program carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.); and

(2) pursuant to such employment, has provided care or instruction to children enrolled in such program.

(b) Loan cancellation amount. After the conclusion of the 3-year period described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall cancel the obligation to repay the balance of principal, interest, and fees due as of the time of such cancellation, on the eligible Federal Direct Loans made to the borrower under this part.

(c) Ineligibility for double benefits. No borrower may, for the same service, receive a reduction of loan obligations under both this section and section 428J, 455(m), or 460.

(d) Application. The Secretary shall develop and make publicly available an application for borrowers who wish to receive loan forgiveness under this section, which shall—

(1) be made readily available for qualifying childcare workers to file for loan forgiveness; and

(2) include any certification requirements that the Secretary determines are necessary to verify qualifying service.

(e) Eligible Federal Direct Loan defined. The term eligible Federal Direct Loan means a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan.