Trump Administration Bars Head Start from Citing “Race,” “Women” and Other Terms in Grant Applications, Sparking Legal Fight Over DEI Policy Shift

The Trump administration is directing Head Start program providers to strip references to terms such as “race,” “belonging,” “pregnant people” and nearly 200 other words from federal grant applications, a move critics say could undermine legally required services for vulnerable children and sharply limit diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in early childhood education.

According to AP NEWS, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has communicated to at least one Wisconsin Head Start director that these words should be avoided in funding proposals because they are associated with DEI initiatives the administration is targeting for elimination, according to coalition groups representing providers and parents.

The guidance has stirred confusion and alarm among administrators who rely on federal funding to serve low-income families, those in foster care and homeless children. One provider said complying with the ban could put her program at odds with the Head Start Act, which requires demographic reporting that uses many of the now-discouraged terms.

Plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by parent groups and Head Start associations in multiple states argue the directive effectively forces providers to choose between following federal law and complying with administrative directives that equate basic demographic language with prohibited DEI content. Critics contend the policy mirrors broader Trump-era executive orders aimed at dismantling DEI programs throughout the federal government.

The lawsuit names HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials, asserting that the administration is unlawfully dismantling Head Start. Opponents argue that the ban could lead centers to drop vital research-based activities or targeted supports — such as autism-focused training or enrollment priorities for tribal members — because the language used to describe these matters is now discouraged.

Administration officials have declined to comment on the pending litigation. Head Start programs receive the bulk of their funding from the federal government, heightening the potential impact of the policy.

The language directive occurs against a backdrop of sweeping executive actions by the Trump administration that have ended federal DEI offices, rescinded affirmative action requirements for federal contractors and sought to eliminate DEI references across agencies — actions that have faced legal challenges and, in some instances, judicial injunctions.

Supporters of the Trump approach say the changes promote a “merit-based” system free from what they describe as divisive identity-based policies, while opponents warn they could erase essential protections and services for historically marginalized groups.