Federal Government Updates

SEED Act Signed Into Law

The bipartisan Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act became law in September 2026! This is a meaningful federal policy win for the early childhood workforce. The new law extends the federal educator expense tax deduction, previously available to K–12 educators, to eligible early childhood educators, allowing them to deduct up to $350 in unreimbursed professional expenses, including books, supplies, educational materials, and qualifying professional development costs. The change applies to qualifying expenses paid or incurred in tax years beginning January 1, 2026 The SEED Act represents an important step toward parity  for early childhood educators alongside their K–12 peers and while providing modest financial relief to a workforce that frequently pays for classroom materials out of pocket. 

Official sources: Public Law 119-111 (GovInfo) | U.S. Senate announcement

Strong Public Engagement on Proposed Head Start Changes

Early childhood advocates, providers, families, researchers, and other stakeholders mobilized during the 60-day public comment period on the Administration for Children and Families’ proposed revisions to  the Head Start Program Performance Standards, which closed October 6, 2026. The proposal would make extensive changes to federal Head Start requirements. At the time of verification, the federal docket showed more than 9,400 publicly posted comments, with additional submissions undergoing processing, likely resulting in a total of over 40,000 comments! The strong response created a substantial public record that ACF must consider as it evaluates whether and how to move forward with a final rule. The proposed changes are not yet final, and existing Head Start requirements remain in effect.

Official sources: Federal Register — Proposed Rule | Regulations.gov — Official Rulemaking Docket