Preschoolers in Pinellas County Head Start programs could lose federal protections against suspension and expulsion under a Trump administration proposal as the public comment period closes Oct. 6.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a proposed rule Aug. 7 that would eliminate Head Start's federal prohibition on expulsion and restrictions on suspension, as first reported by WFLA, The Associated Press and The 74. Under the proposed change, programs would have greater discretion to establish discipline policies within applicable state and local requirements. Florida does not have statewide protections comparable to Head Start's current federal suspension and expulsion rules.

Public comment period closes Oct. 6

The 60-day public comment period closes Tuesday, Oct. 6. More than 32,500 comments had been submitted to the federal docket as of the most recent count.

In Pinellas County, Lutheran Services Florida Head Start runs programs for young children and families out of its Largo office. LSF Head Start is one of the largest nonprofit Head Start grantees in the Southeast, operating across five Florida counties, including Pinellas. Statewide, Head Start fills nearly 40,000 funded seats across 679 centers, backed by $492.8 million in federal money, according to the National Head Start Association's 2026 Florida fact sheet.

Federal rules currently limit suspensions and ban expulsions

Current federal rules prohibit expulsion and allow temporary suspensions only as a last resort after programs take steps that include collaborating with parents, consulting mental health professionals and bringing in behavioral specialists. When a child is temporarily suspended, programs must continue engaging with the family and determine whether the child may qualify for additional services.

The proposed rule would eliminate those federal requirements.

"If the state of Florida doesn't have standards related to suspension and expulsion, and that's what the administration wants us to go by … I think as a country we should all be very concerned that we're taking our most vulnerable children and families and potentially putting them in an environment where they're going to have no protections," Wanda Minick, executive director of the Florida Head Start Association, said Oct. 5.

Florida reported 466 expulsions of public preschool students during the 2023-24 school year, more than any other state, according to an analysis of federal Civil Rights Data Collection figures by The 74 and the AP. The data covers public preschool programs broadly and does not measure Head Start programs specifically.

Only 14 states and Washington, D.C., have laws or policies aligned with Head Start's current discipline protections, according to a September 2026 analysis by the Children's Equity Project at Arizona State University. In about 70% of states, Head Start students would have fewer guardrails if the federal requirements are eliminated.

HHS says proposal would give programs flexibility

An HHS spokesperson said the proposal would give Head Start programs more flexibility and would not require them to change their current disciplinary practices, according to The 74. Individual programs could retain their existing approaches to discipline.

Advocates say other provisions in the proposal would also remove federal requirements intended to prevent behavioral problems from escalating. The broader rule proposes changes involving adult-to-child ratios, mental health consultation, developmental screenings and staff breaks.

Nationally, Head Start serves roughly 700,000 children from low-income families. In Pinellas County, families seeking information about local Head Start programs can contact LSF Head Start at 727-547-5979.

Residents who want to submit comments before the deadline can do so at Regulations.gov under docket ACF-2026-0595.