Ron DeSantis office slams Biden admin’s mask mandate for Head Start toddlers

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office on Wednesday slammed the Biden administration’s ongoing mask mandate for low-income toddlers, calling it an "unacceptable" harm to children that even contradicts current guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Head Start preschools and child care centers for low-income families, which are overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are still requiring children as young as 2 years old to wear masks, despite current CDC guidelines that recommend universal masking only in areas with high COVID-19 community levels. Head Start staff members are also required to be vaccinated, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The mask and vaccine mandates only apply to the program in 25 states after red-leaning states like Florida and Texas sued in federal courts and injunctions were imposed to stop their implementation.