Head Start centers serve around 700,000 of the nation’s most vulnerable children, including those who are homeless, in foster care or disabled. “The model was created with intentionality,” said Khari Garvin, who oversaw Head Start under President Joe Biden, a Democrat. Critically, states allow adults to care for far more children than is allowed under Head Start standards. He added that he tried to shield Head Start from many of the cuts that hit the rest of his agency. Still, the Trump administration succeeded last year in laying off much of Head Start’s support staff and closing half of its regional offices.