Head Start can still use words like ‘race’ and ‘women’ for federal funding, judge says

A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction blocking the Trump administration's attempts to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in Head Start early childhood programs and prevent mass layoffs. The administration had threatened to withhold funding from Head Start providers using terms like "women," "race," "bias," and "equitable" in their grant applications, forcing some directors to remove essential program components such as autism training for educators. Head Start programs in multiple states, along with advocacy groups including the ACLU, filed lawsuits arguing these restrictions contradict federal requirements under the Head Start Act and undermine the program's 60-year mission of serving economically disadvantaged families.