Changing Tides/Head Start.

Toby in the Morning sat down this week with Executive Director of Changing Tides Family Services, Kerry Venegas, to discuss the peril of the Head Start Program across the country and namely, right here in Humboldt County.

For more than 60 years, Head Start has helped children and families thrive by bringing together high-quality early learning, health, nutrition, developmental supports and meaningful family engagement.

On August 6, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed significant changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards that could dramatically affect services offered right here in Humboldt County.

Today, those services, and the standards that help make them possible, are at risk.

BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WE ALL CAN DO, but the window closes on October 6th 2026.

One of the proposed rules involved in the process is “public comment’ and the time is now to put those forward.

Note: please make comments as personal as possible to bypass being flagged by AI as bulk or copied.

Listen to the interview below to get more information and then use one of the links below to fill out available templates for public comment. All VERY user friendly.

Here is a list of available templates for public comment:

• Start Early Head Start Protect the Standards page.

• California Organizations Coming Together in Support of Head Start Google doc NPRM template.

• National Head Start Association NPRM Information and action pages (very accessible and comprehensive).

Toby and Kerry Venegas