09/27/2026
Last program year, 6,936 newly enrolled Wisconsin children completed developmental, sensory, and behavioral screenings within 45 days of starting Head Start. Those screenings identified 2,331 children who needed a closer look to find out whether they had a developmental delay or disability.
That's what the 45-day timeline does: it catches concerns early, when support makes the biggest difference. During the same year, 888 children enrolled in Wisconsin Head Start programs became newly eligible for special education or early intervention services.
A new report from The Children's Equity Project explains why this timeline matters:
⏱️ Earlier screening means earlier services. IDEA evaluation timelines generally start after a referral, so a delay in screening delays everything that follows.
🩺 Head Start adds a checkpoint other systems don't. Medicaid does not require a screening when a child enrolls. In 2024, 74% of Wisconsin children ages 0 to 3 in Head Start received their screenings, compared with 27% of young children in Wisconsin's Medicaid program. That gap exists even though Wisconsin Medicaid follows the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommended screening schedule.
🌾 It matters most for children who are hardest to reach. Children in rural communities and children experiencing homelessness are more likely to miss the well-child visits where screenings usually happen.
The proposed rule would eliminate the 45-day screening requirement, leaving programs to set their own timelines.
Nothing is changing in Head Start programs right now, but this is your time to speak out. This is a proposed rule, and comments submitted by October 6 become part of the official record HHS must review.
If a Head Start screening helped a child get support sooner, share that story in a public comment: https://whsaonline.org/2026/09/day-13-screening-versus-the-disability-enrollment-requirement/
