Head Start for Our Future Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2166 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2166

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include child development 
 and early learning as community services under the Federal work-study 
                    program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 25 (legislative day, June 24), 2025

Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Kaine, Mr. 
Van Hollen, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Lujan, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. 
  Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include child development 
 and early learning as community services under the Federal work-study 
                    program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Head Start for Our Future Act''.

SEC. 2. CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY LEARNING COMMUNITY SERVICES THROUGH 
              FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 441(c)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087-51(c)(1)) is amended by striking ``literacy 
training'' and inserting ``child development and early learning 
(including Head Start programs and Early Head Start programs carried 
out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.)), literacy 
training''.
    (b) Agreement Requirements.--Section 443(b) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087-53(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (10), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (12); and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) provide assurances that any Head Start program, 
        including an Early Head Start program, employing students 
        through a work-study program under this part will comply with 
        the requirements of sections 645A(j) and 648A(h), respectively, 
        of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9840a(j), 9843a(h)); and''.

SEC. 3. HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Early Head Start.--Section 645A of the Head Start Act (42 
U.S.C. 9840a) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Students in Work-Study Programs.--In the case of a student 
serving an Early Head Start program through a work-study program under 
section 441(c)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087-
51(c)(1))--
            ``(1) before the Early Head Start agency involved employs 
        the student, the agency shall comply with the requirements of 
        section 648A(g)(3);
            ``(2) the student shall comply with all personnel policies 
        applicable to the Early Head Start program under the Head Start 
        program performance standards issued under this subchapter; and
            ``(3) the student shall serve the Early Head Start program 
        as an additional paid staff member but--
                    ``(A) shall not be left alone with any child 
                through the program, meaning that a paid staff member 
                (not in such a work-study program) shall attend when 
                the student so serves; and
                    ``(B) shall not count toward the staff included in 
                any staff-to-child ratio applicable to the Early Head 
                Start program under this subchapter.''.
    (b) Head Start.--Section 648A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
9843a) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Students in Work-Study Programs.--In the case of a student 
serving a Head Start program (not an Early Head Start program) through 
a work-study program under section 441(c)(1) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087-51(c)(1))--
            ``(1) before the Head Start agency involved employs the 
        student, the agency shall comply with the requirements of 
        subsection (g)(3);
            ``(2) the student shall comply with all personnel policies 
        applicable to the Head Start program under the Head Start 
        program performance standards issued under this subchapter; and
            ``(3) the student shall serve the Head Start program as an 
        additional paid staff member but--
                    ``(A) shall not be left alone with any child 
                through the program, meaning that a paid staff member 
                (not in such a work-study program) shall attend when 
                the student so serves; and
                    ``(B) shall not count toward the staff included in 
                any staff-to-child ratio applicable to the Head Start 
                program under this subchapter.''.
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