Head Start centers serve around 700,000 of the nation’s most vulnerable children, including those who are homeless, in foster care or disabled. But the changes would undermine many of the things that make Head Start distinct from other early education programs, policy experts say. “This version of Head Start is a shell of the program,” said Khari Garvin, who oversaw Head Start under Democratic President Joe Biden. 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.