NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Statement on proposed Head Start deregulation from Steven Barnett, the founder and senior director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University:“The Trump Administration’s proposal to remove 80% of Head Start regulations could undermine the program’s ability to fulfill its purpose of improving the school readiness of children in poverty. “Among the most important targets of the proposed deregulations are the elimination of child-staff ratios, which could lead to higher child to teacher ratios, double or even triple for infants and toddlers in some Head Start programs. “Low child-staff ratios are linked to better school readiness. Whether public or private, high-quality pre-K programs have been found to produce large improvements in school readiness and success , educational attainment , and adult earnings .” ###The National Institute for Early Education Research at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, New Brunswick, NJ, supports early childhood education policy and practice through independent, objective research and the translation of research to policy and practice.