A New Trump Rule Would Lower Standards at Head Start and Exclude Immigrants From the Program The Trump administration is on the verge of releasing a proposed rule that would eliminate crucial quality standards at the nation’s preschool program for low-income children. Teachers Deimy Labrador, top, and Emily Ledesma read with children in an Early Head Start class supporting kids with developmental delays, in Miami. While the Head Start Act includes some specific requirements, most standards in the program have been delineated by this set of rules. “If it’s not explicitly stated in [the Head Start] statute, it won’t seem to exist after this proposed rule is finalized,” the second person said. The rule would also put the onus of verifying children’s immigration eligibility on Head Start programs, which will require extra administrative resources.