A US federal judge has issued a temporary order stopping the Trump administration from implementing major changes to the long-running Head Start early education program. The ruling pauses efforts to eliminate language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from grant applications and halts further layoffs within the federal Office of Head Start.
Legal Challenge Against Policy Shifts
The order was issued this week by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez in response to a lawsuit filed in April. The suit names Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other federal officials as defendants. A coalition of organisations representing Head Start providers and parents filed the case, arguing the administration is unlawfully dismantling the program by closing federal offices and laying off roughly half of its staff.
The plaintiffs also challenged attempts to bar children who are in the United States illegally from enrolling and to restrict language the administration associates with DEI initiatives.
Disputed Language Guidance and Its Impact
Court documents reveal that federal officials instructed a Head Start director in Wisconsin to remove words like "race," "belonging," and "pregnant people" from a grant application. Later, officials provided a list of nearly 200 discouraged terms, including "Black," "Native American," "disability," and "women."
This guidance caused significant confusion among administrators, who are legally required to include demographic data in their applications. One program director in Washington state stated in a court filing that the restrictions prompted her to cancel crucial staff training on supporting children with autism and those affected by trauma.
Protecting a Program Rooted in Anti-Poverty Efforts
Head Start was created over 60 years ago as a cornerstone of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. It provides early education, health, and family support services to young children from low-income households, foster care, and homelessness. The program is federally funded but operated locally by nonprofits, schools, and governments.
Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington State Head Start association, welcomed the ruling. He described the administration's actions as a "broader attack on Head Start centres." "When a Head Start program has their funding withheld because of their efforts to provide effective education to children with autism, serve tribal members on a reservation, or treat all families with respect, it is an attack on the fundamental promise of the Head Start program," Ryan said.
Scope of the Court Injunction
Judge Martinez's order, published on Monday, explicitly bars the Health and Human Services Department from laying off additional Office of Head Start employees. It also prevents the department from penalising any Head Start providers for using terms included on the disputed prohibited language list. This legal intervention provides a temporary reprieve for the program as the lawsuit proceeds.
