The federal government plans to mandate that all Head Start programs are conducted in English-only environments. Policies that eliminate home language are not only unwise, they are harmful to emergent bilingual kids. 

Here are five reasons we need to ensure that Head Start can be incorporated into Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) programs.

1. Students need language to learn academics. Head Start exists to give students the opportunity to start learning the four academic subjects (science, social studies, math, and literacy) before Kindergarten. However, asking kids to learn English before learning academics holds students back from that very goal. Our objective should be to teach academics while building linguistic skills in both English and their home language. We can’t do that if we cut out their home languages.
2. Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) ensures English language acquisition. Nobody is asking for students not to learn English. In fact, DLBE is the only research proven program that ensures we close the opportunity (achievement) gap in English for our emergent bilinguals. 
3. Education should maximize student potential. The majority of children who are federally classified as English Language Learners (ELLs) were born in the United States and have been exposed to both English and their home language from birth, making bilingualism their first language (Mudambi 2025). Therefore, they are already on a trajectory to learn both languages at high levels. By taking away one of those languages, we are not only causing academics to suffer, but we are not leading our students to reach their individual potentials.  
4. English-only mandates are illogical. Why are we taking language away from students, and then asking them to learn it in high school? It is clear that we understand that knowing multiple languages is a benefit for all students. So what are we doing? 
5. Language is identity. This should really be the first and foremost reason why Head Start should not be English only although perhaps it is the last reason English-only proponents will consider. Within language lies students’ connections to family members and to their heritage. Without it, many students are unable to speak to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even their own parents. By telling students that they can no longer use their language, we tear down their identity and sense of self. Is this how we want to get our three-year-old babies started, thinking they are less than because they are bilingual?

There are many more reasons I could list for why taking language away from kids is detrimental. For more reasons why we should encourage multilingualism and multilingual education, check out my book, Puzzle Pieces: A Systems Approach to Multilingual Education.  There are also many more resources in this blog that talk about Why Bilingualism.

And please be sure to advocate for our emergent bilinguals. Send your public comments to: Deregulation@acf.hhs.gov with the subject line: Public Comment – Docket ACF-2026-0595 / RIN 0970-AD30 – Head Start Language Requirements. Let them know that you support English language acquisition while developing students’ home language for the reasons outlined here.

All public comments should be sent by October 6, 2026.