BUILD Initiative

Four days left to make your voice heard on proposed changes to Head Start. BUILD continues to update the resource, What the Field is Saying: https://buildinitiative.org/resource-library/head-start-under-threat-what-the-field-is-saying/

The rule on the table would eliminate roughly 80% of federal Head Start standards — things like staffing ratios, teacher credentials, and protections for kids experiencing homelessness. Partners across the field are speaking up: NHSA's fly-in brought 600+ leaders to Capitol Hill, and nearly 20,000 people signed a parent and caregiver letter urging the administration to preserve these protections.

"Head Start has never been only an early education program. Its strength comes from bringing together early learning, health, nutrition and family engagement to support the whole child and the whole family." — Celena Sarillo, Start Early

Comments close October 6. Submit yours here: https://www.startearly.org/get-involved/action-center/act-now-preserve-head-start-amid-threats-to-federal-funding/

Head Start Under Threat: What the Field is Saying Over the past few months, HHS has advanced two related sets of proposed changes to Head Start. National, state, and local partners across the early childhood field have raised serious concerns about both. This document is a summary of what our partners are saying, followed by concrete actions and re...

Held and Housed: Protecting Maternal and Infant Well-Being from the Harms of Homelessness. Webinar starts at 2 PM ET!

This webinar will examine how homelessness and gaps in maternal, perinatal, and infant care reinforce one another, and why solutions must cross sectors that too often work in isolation. We’ll explore approaches that treat stable housing and quality maternal and infant care not as separate goals, but as intertwined foundations for family stability and thriving communities. You’ll leave the webinar with a deep understanding of the damaging effects homelessness has on pregnant people and families with young children and how states and communities are working across sectors to provide the safety and stability these families need. https://buildinitiative.org/events/held-and-housed-protecting-maternal-and-infant-well-being-from-the-harms-of-homelessness/

Speakers
Jami Helmig, PhD Student and Parent Leader, Warren Village alumni and Johns Hopkins University
Kanika Harris, Executive Director, The National Association to Advance Black Birth (NAABB)
Erin Patterson, Director, Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, SchoolHouse Connection
Paige Klemme, Assistant Professor of Research, Director of Healthy Beginnings at Home, Grassroots MCH Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Indiana University
Tyese Lawyer, President and CEO, Our House

Join us for the Held and Housed webinar on September 30 from 2 – 3:30 ET for an in-depth look at the human toll homelessness takes on maternal and child health and how, with the right support, families can flourish.

This webinar will examine how homelessness and gaps in maternal, perinatal, and infant care reinforce one another, and why solutions must cross sectors that too often work in isolation. We’ll explore approaches that treat stable housing and quality maternal and infant care not as separate goals, but as intertwined foundations for family stability and thriving communities. You’ll leave the webinar with a deep understanding of the damaging effects homelessness has on pregnant people and families with young children and how states and communities are working across sectors to provide the safety and stability these families need.
https://buildinitiative.org/events/held-and-housed-protecting-maternal-and-infant-well-being-from-the-harms-of-homelessness/

"Head Start has never been only an early education program. Its strength comes from bringing together early learning, health, nutrition and family engagement to support the whole child and the whole family." — Celena Sarillo, President, Start Early

BUILD continues to update What the Field is Saying about the proposed Head Start rule changes: https://buildinitiative.org/resource-library/head-start-under-threat-what-the-field-is-saying/

The proposed changes to Head Start put that whole-child model at risk. First Five Years Fund's new state-by-state fact sheets lay out exactly what Head Start funding, enrollment, and reach look like in every state — useful data for anyone drafting a public comment before the October 6 deadline.

If disability services are part of your work, don't miss Start Early's free webinar tomorrow, September 23 at 3:00–4:00 PM ET, covering what's at stake for disability-focused standards — screening, inclusion, family support, IDEA coordination, and more — plus a ready-to-use comment template.
Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WVFnXBUdRxajtdwc2crrbQ #/registration
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Head Start Under Threat: What the Field is Saying Over the past few months, HHS has advanced two related sets of proposed changes to Head Start. National, state, and local partners across the early childhood field have raised serious concerns about both. This document is a summary of what our partners are saying, followed by concrete actions and re...

"They were able to connect the dots for me when I wasn't able to connect them myself." That's how Ruby describes her time at Warren Village in Denver — a program that helped her and her kids find stability after domestic violence and job loss. Today Ruby runs her own media nonprofit.

Jami arrived at Warren Village pregnant and without stable housing. With help enrolling in college, access to child care, and a family advocate in her corner, she's now pursuing a PhD at Johns Hopkins.

Their stories are a reminder: it's rarely just housing that families need. It's housing plus child care, career support, and someone helping connect all the pieces.

Read and watch more about Ruby, Jami, and Warren Village's approach. 👇
https://buildinitiative.org/resource-library/connecting-the-dots-holistic-help-for-women-and-children-experiencing-homelessness/

Only 46 of the 9,200+ public comments filed on the proposed Head Start rule so far mention Tribal concerns — and none can be verified as coming from a Tribe, Tribal organization, or Tribal Head Start program, according to new legal analysis from Turtle Talk (a blog supported by Michigan State University's Indigenous Law and Policy Center).

The proposed changes would hit Tribal Head Start programs especially hard, and there's a real gap between that impact and how much Tribal input is actually on record. A Tribal Consultation session is set for September 16 — but a signed letter authorizing someone to speak is due September 11. If you know Tribal Head Start programs or leaders, please make sure they've heard.

We're continuing to update our running summary of what the field is saying on the Head Start NPRMs. Read the latest and find ways to take action:

Head Start Under Threat: What the Field is Saying Over the past few months, HHS has advanced two related sets of proposed changes to Head Start. National, state, and local partners across the early childhood field have raised serious concerns about both. This document is a summary of what our partners are saying, followed by concrete actions and re...

We're continuing to update our Head Start resource, What the Field is Saying, as new information comes in. The Sept. 1 updates adds National Head Start Association's new research brief, "More Powerful Than We Thought," which finds traditional evaluations may underestimate Head Start's impact — especially for children who otherwise wouldn't have had access to early learning — with benefits reaching parents and even the next generation. It also includes Start Early's September 9 webinar on what the proposed changes could mean in practice. https://buildinitiative.org/resource-library/head-start-under-threat-what-the-field-is-saying/

We hope you'll join our Virtual Summit, beginning at 12:00 PM ET TODAY! Join midwives, doulas, clinicians, policymakers, and community leaders for a day exploring how community birth can become a more accessible, sustainable, and integrated part of our health care system.
https://buildinitiative.org/events/outside-the-hospital-walls-exploring-community-birth-midwifery-and-sustainable-financing-solutions/

Session 1 at 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET | A Different Place to Birth: Exploring Community Spaces, Choice, and Care
Indra Lusero, founder of Elephant Circle, explores what becomes possible when birth is supported beyond hospital-centered models, centering autonomy, culture, dignity, and connection.

Session 2 at 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET | Built to Last: Creating Financially Sustainable Community Birth Spaces
Ola Allen-Taylor (Orchid Capital Collective) will look at the funding models, partnerships, and policy strategies that keep community birth spaces open, accessible, and responsive to the communities they serve.

Session 3 at 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET | Who Gets to Birth Where? Building the Future of Community Birth
Dr. Kaytura Felix (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) and Dr. Cassaundra Jah (NACPM) tackle how funding, policy, and partnerships can move community birth access from conversation to action, facilitated by Omotunde Sowole-West of the PN-3 Capacity-Building Hub at the BUILD Initiative.

What if an answer to the Black maternal healthcare crisis is already here? That's the premise behind Deep Care, a podcast hosted by researcher and mother Kaytura Felix, MD. The podcast spotlights "the Black community midwives transforming Black families and futures."

In the May 2026 episode, "Birth, Rebirth," one mother describes her home birth: her sister feeding her persimmons and grapes, her mother praying over her. No rush, no flashing lights. Just an experience built around her. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birth-rebirth-how-midwives-support-families-through/id1882116274?i=1000766013079

Dr. Felix will bring her perspective to our September 1 summit, Outside the Hospital Walls — a FREE virtual event exploring community birth, midwifery, and sustainable financing. She'll be joined by Indra Lusero of Elephant Circle, Ola Allen-Taylor of Orchid Capital Collective, and Dr. Cassaundra Jah of NACPM.

Three sessions, one day. Join us for one or all three. Register now: https://buildinitiative.org/events/outside-the-hospital-walls-exploring-community-birth-midwifery-and-sustainable-financing-solutions/

Birth, Rebirth: How Midwives Support Families through Pregnancy and Loss Podcast Episode · Deep Care · May 4 · 32m

Joan Lombardi says the proposed Head Start rule is a "wake-up call" for the country, and Prevent Blindness warns it would weaken the vision screenings that catch problems early. More partners are speaking up every day. Comments close October 6. This document is a summary of what our partners are saying, updated August 27. Read what they're saying and add your voice: https://buildinitiative.org/resource-library/head-start-under-threat-what-the-field-is-saying/

Head Start Under Threat: What the Field is Saying Over the past few months, HHS has advanced two related sets of proposed changes to Head Start. National, state, and local partners across the early childhood field have raised serious concerns about both. This document is a summary of what our partners are saying, followed by concrete actions and re...