Wisconsin Head Start Association (WHSA)

Wisconsin Head Start Association (WHSA) Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Wisconsin Head Start Association (WHSA), Nonprofit Organization, 2096 Red Arrow Trail, Fitchburg, WI.

Our purpose is to gather and disseminate information about Head Start, provide assistance to state, regional, and national Head Start agencies and organizations, to advocate and carry out activities that support educational goals for children.

Do you work in Head Start? Here's one way to speak up for the program you work for.On August 7, 2026, HHS proposed major...
08/28/2026

Do you work in Head Start? Here's one way to speak up for the program you work for.

On August 7, 2026, HHS proposed major changes to the Head Start Performance Standards, the rules that guide quality and safety across every Head Start program. These changes could affect teacher qualifications and class sizes, health and disability services, family engagement, and language access.

You know what these standards mean day to day, in your classroom, on your caseload, with the families you serve.

Together for Head Start has drafted a joint comment urging HHS to withdraw this proposal. Current Head Start staff can add their name by September 25, 2026.

👉 Sign here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCSSXo6vWenmRbFFrfBZ54J-7JZDmgfu1oNaNG7lKXGMSAyg/viewform

There are many ways to speak out for Head Start. This is one you can do today. Stay tuned for more.

"Since joining, I've seen a real improvement in their social skills and their curiosity for learning. It's given them a ...
08/27/2026

"Since joining, I've seen a real improvement in their social skills and their curiosity for learning. It's given them a structure that truly fosters who they are."
- a Western Dairyland Head Start Parent

Head Start is a place where kids build the skills and confidence to thrive long after they leave.

In 2025, over 6,000 newly enrolled children in Wisconsin completed developmental screenings within their first 45 days, and over 2,000 children were on track to enter kindergarten the following year.

That's the goal all along, a real foundation for a child's future.

Registration is open for WHSA's Communities of Practice!Connect with other Head Start professionals, share expertise, an...
08/26/2026

Registration is open for WHSA's Communities of Practice!

Connect with other Head Start professionals, share expertise, and build strategies that work in real-world classrooms and programs.

4 learning series this year: Fall, Winter, and New Year, each featuring facilitated, content area–specific sessions. New this year, the Spring series features a virtual keynote on challenging behaviors, followed by facilitated discussion.

• Early Registration (full series): $325 – through Sept 15
• Single series also available starting at $95

The season kicks off this fall – secure your spot now: https://whsaonline.org/communities-of-practice/

Have a strategy that's actually working in a classroom or program? Wisconsin's Head Start community wants to learn from ...
08/26/2026

Have a strategy that's actually working in a classroom or program? Wisconsin's Head Start community wants to learn from you.

Applications are open for WHSA's 25th Annual Training Conference - February 22–24, 2027 at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells.

We're building out breakout sessions (90-minute Workshops and 180-minute Deep Dives) on topics like:
🔹 Staff wellness & sustainability
🔹 Complex behavioral support
🔹 Challenging conversations with families, colleagues & supervisors
🔹 Technology integration
🔹 Family support during transitions
🔹 Proactive safety protocols
🔹 Advocacy & voice

(Keynote speakers are already set for 2027 - this call is just for breakout sessions.)

Applications close November 20, and notifications go out on a rolling basis.

👉 Apply now: https://bit.ly/whsa-call-for-presenters

12,000 Wisconsin kids. One proposal that could upend all of it.The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel breaks down what the feder...
08/23/2026

12,000 Wisconsin kids. One proposal that could upend all of it.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel breaks down what the federal Head Start rule change would mean here at home - from larger class sizes to changes affecting bilingual programs like La Causa and the United Community Center in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin Head Start Association leadership put it plainly: cutting these requirements doesn't create flexibility, it removes the protections that keep programs safe and accountable to families.

The public comment period is open through October 6. Read the full article here: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2026/08/17/wisconsin-head-start-programs-face-sweeping-changes-under-trump-plan/91258074007/

"Flexibility" sounds harmless until you ask who it's flexible for.This week's New Yorker piece on the Head Start deregul...
08/22/2026

"Flexibility" sounds harmless until you ask who it's flexible for.

This week's New Yorker piece on the Head Start deregulation proposal looks at what happens when required class sizes and staff-to-child ratios disappear, not just on paper, but in classrooms where close to half the kids may have a diagnosed disability or a home life in crisis.

Wisconsin Head Start leaders are blunt in the piece about what "flexibility" actually means for the people doing the work.

Full story available to subscribers of The New Yorker here: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/progress-report/can-head-start-be-deregulated-out-of-existence

Head Start is facing the biggest rollback in its history.HHS has proposed eliminating over 90% of the standards that ke...
08/21/2026

Head Start is facing the biggest rollback in its history.

HHS has proposed eliminating over 90% of the standards that keep Head Start classrooms safe, well-staffed, and equipped to support every child, including infants, children with disabilities, and dual language learners.

This isn't red tape. These standards are why Head Start works.

Send a message to your officials and submit a comment, all in one easy place.

Quality matters more than quantity. Comments with personal stories or specific impacts are the most effective, and there's space in our pre-written messages to add your own thoughts.

The public comment period is open through October 6, 2026. No limit on how many times you can comment, so if you think of another impact later, come back and share it.

Take action here: https://bit.ly/WHSA-Protect-HS-Standards

Thank you, Governor Tony Evers for standing up for Wisconsin's youngest kids and the Head Start programs that serve the...
08/20/2026

Thank you, Governor Tony Evers for standing up for Wisconsin's youngest kids and the Head Start programs that serve them. As he says, eviscerating decades of standards and protections won't expand access to quality care, it will undermine it. Like Gov. Evers, WHSA is calling on HHS to reject this rule and protect Head Start for Wisconsin's kids.

Read Gov. Tony Evers full statement: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/4256dcc

"Head Start gave me guidance for daily struggles, ideas to keep my child engaged at home, and helped me stay accountable...
08/20/2026

"Head Start gave me guidance for daily struggles, ideas to keep my child engaged at home, and helped me stay accountable to my own goals, not just my child's."
- A Western Dairyland Head Start Parent

Head Start meets parents where they are, helping them build a better life for their whole family, not just supporting their child in the classroom.

In 2025, nearly 2,000 Wisconsin families received help enrolling in education or job training programs, and over 1,000 received financial coaching and debt counseling through Head Start.

Real goals. Real accountability. Real support, for parents, too. This is part of what makes Head Start so special.

Head Start Parents, Caregivers and Families: Add your name to a joint letter to protect Head Start.👉 Sign here: https://...
08/19/2026

Head Start Parents, Caregivers and Families: Add your name to a joint letter to protect Head Start.

👉 Sign here: https://bit.ly/HS-Family-SignOnLetter

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed major changes to the Head Start Performance Standards, changes that could affect teacher quality, disability services, family engagement, health supports, and more.

This is a proposed rule, not a done deal. But if finalized, it could reduce access to services for thousands of children and families nationwide.

Together for Head Start has drafted a joint letter urging HHS to withdraw this proposal. Signing takes 2 minutes, current Head Start parents, grandparents, and caregivers can add their name by September 25, 2026.

✅ Your name + state added to the letter
✅ Sent to HHS, Congress, and the press

There are multiple ways to take action for Head Start, follow along for more. Not a current Head Start family? Stay tuned for ways you can stand up for Head Start.

Thank you for advocating to protect Head Start!

Address

2096 Red Arrow Trail
Fitchburg, WI
53711

Telephone

+16084426879

Website

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