Multilingualism Opens Doors. Head Start Helps Build Them.

When policymakers debate the future of Head Start, they are not just debating an early childhood education program. They are deciding whether millions of children will continue to have access to opportunities that can shape the trajectory of their lives, including the chance to become multilingual, culturally fluent, and prepared to thrive in an interconnected world.

I know the power of multilingualism because I have lived it. For generations, my family invested in language learning, cultural fluency, and global engagement. My grandparents, who served as evangelical missionaries throughout Latin America, built schools alongside churches and raised their five children in homes where Spanish, English, Portuguese, German, French, and Italian were part of daily life. They understood that language is more than a skill. It is a bridge to opportunity, understanding, and service.

My parents carried that lesson forward. They raised me in a bilingual, bicultural home and prioritized bilingual education not only to preserve our family’s heritage, but because they understood firsthand how multilingualism expands opportunity. My mother became a certified multilingual conference interpreter, and my father built a career performing and ministering internationally in both English and Spanish. Their language abilities opened doors professionally, personally, and culturally.

Those same opportunities have shaped my life. Growing up and attending school in both Mexico and the United States gave me the linguistic and cultural fluency to build a successful language services business, pursue meaningful work across sectors, and develop a strong sense of identity and purpose. Multilingualism has never been an obstacle in my life. It has been an advantage at every stage.

That is why I am deeply concerned by proposed changes to Head Start that threaten both the quality of the program and access to the services that make it so effective. According to the Center for American Progress (CAP), Head Start’s success is rooted in decades of evidence showing that its rigorous health, safety, learning, and family engagement standards help combat poverty and improve children’s long-term outcomes. CAP warns that a proposed federal rule would repeal a majority of those standards, potentially leading to service reductions, job losses, higher costs for families, and reduced access for vulnerable children. 

The concerns are especially significant for families who value multilingual education. The proposed changes include new English-only requirements that could undermine dual-language learning opportunities that have helped millions of children build strong academic, social, and linguistic foundations. For families like mine, language is not simply a means of communication. It is a connection to culture, community, economic opportunity, and citizenship in an increasingly global society. 

When my own children became eligible for Head Start, I deliberately chose a dual-language program. I quickly learned I was far from alone. Families across the country are increasingly choosing these programs because they recognize what decades of research confirms: multilingualism strengthens cognitive development, expands career opportunities, increases earning potential, and deepens cultural understanding.

But our family’s Head Start experience went far beyond academics. The program connected us to a community that remains part of our lives more than fifteen years later. Through bilingual parent engagement opportunities, I found not only a place where my children could thrive, but one where I could contribute, lead, and advocate. I eventually became president of our bilingual parent group, beginning a lifelong commitment to supporting children and families.

Proposed changes to Head Start put far more than a federal program at risk. They threaten the educational, economic, and cultural opportunities that help children reach their full potential. For families like mine, Head Start opened doors to multilingualism and lifelong success. Lawmakers must ensure those doors remain open for the children who come next.

Christy Moreno, National Organizing Director, National Parents Union