If you鈥檝e been following the Trump administration鈥檚 immigration crackdown, you鈥檝e likely heard of Democrats鈥� calls for greater officer accountability, including banning face masks and mandating body cameras and publicly displayed IDs. For my latest story, I dig into a lesser-known demand: barring federal immigration agents from Head Start, child care and pre-K classrooms.

That was once standard practice but since President Donald Trump rescinded a rule last year shielding so-called sensitive locations from enforcement actions, those who provide education and care to the youngest learners report harrowing encounters with immigration officers. I鈥檓 a staff reporter covering for Mark this week and I spoke to several of those folks in Illinois, which was hit with the administration鈥檚 Operation Midway Blitz last fall.

In the news

The latest in ongoing FBI investigation into L.A. schools鈥� failed AI chatbot deal: A January 2023 meeting invite obtained by 社区黑料 suggests senior staff were consulting with AllHere principals at district headquarters five months before the contract was approved. It also calls into question statements by schools chief Alberto Carvalho that he had no involvement in selecting the company represented by his close friend. | 

• Carvalho issued his first statement after an FBI raid on his home and office. The high-profile school leader, who鈥檚 been placed on paid leave, denied any wrongdoing. | 
  
• Sources say grand jury subpoenas have been issued seeking records from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools鈥檚 inspector general and a fundraising foundation overseen by Carvalho while he was the Miami superintendent. | 

Kids鈥� internet safety bill moves to House vote. Despite Democrats鈥� complaints of a 鈥済iant loophole鈥� for Big Tech, a bill requiring online platforms to implement safeguards for minors has advanced to a full House vote. It would provide 鈥渆asy-to-use parental tools鈥� and limit addictive design features.聽|聽

A former Lakewood, Colorado, school security supervisor will serve 18 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student on and off school grounds over the course of two years. 鈥淗is job was to ensure the safety of students,鈥� said a deputy district attorney. 鈥淚nstead 鈥� [he] manipulated a sixteen-year-old into sexual acts.鈥� | 

As federal civil rights complaints languish, parents of disabled students look to states. Colorado lawmakers unanimously approved a bill that would expand the state education department’s ability to hear complaints tied to students鈥� disability accommodations. They鈥檙e part of a growing number of legislators nationwide who want their states to step in amid federal staffing cuts and mounting unresolved civil rights cases. | 

• Go deeper: For Decades, the Feds Were the Last, Best Hope for Special Ed Kids. What Happens Now?聽|聽

Virginia has passed a bill barring schools from teaching Jan. 6 as a 鈥減eaceful protest.鈥� Instead, it would be presented as 鈥渁n unprecedented, violent attack on U.S. democratic institutions, infrastructure, and representatives for the purpose of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election.鈥�  | 

Private school choice but not for everyone. Texas has excluded about two dozen Islamic schools from its new $1 billion voucher program for allegedly being linked to terrorist groups, a decision that has led to a lawsuit and claims of anti-Muslim discrimination.| 

A $7 million tech effort meant to make Hawai驶i schools safer by equipping teachers and principals with panic buttons and mobile apps never got off the ground. Two years after launching, only one school in the state has panic buttons 鈥� and it鈥檚 not using them.| 

ICYMI @The74

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Jebby, my handsome cockapoo, is very excited to hang up his jacket 鈥� and his booties 鈥� and sniff the spring air. 

That afternoon, agents appeared in front of at least two nearby elementary schools, reportedly waiting for parents to pick up their children, 鈥渁nd at one point they were looking into kindergarten classroom windows and just scaring the living daylights out of the children,鈥� said the director, who asked not to be identified to protect the children she serves. 鈥淭hey have guns, they have rifles. They look scary.鈥�

Helicopters also flew overhead at a circling as kids paraded through the streets in their costumes, according to stories collected from Illinois Head Start families on how the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in their state last fall affected them.

Earlier on the 31st, the Illinois director said she had gotten word through phone calls and Signal channels that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers had flooded the area, she told 社区黑料. A family on their way to enroll their young daughter in an early learning center that shares space with her Head Start program was stopped a block or so away at a major intersection. The father was detained in front of his wife and child, she said.

A dozen Head Start associations representing more than 100,000 children across the country, including the one in Illinois, sent a letter to Congress Tuesday demanding that immigration agents be barred from entering Head Start, child care and pre-K classrooms and premises, including parking lots. 

For nearly three decades, that was a largely accepted practice: Immigration enforcement was prohibited in and around schools, hospitals, places of worship and other so-called sensitive locations. 

One of the first things President Donald Trump did at the start of his second term in January 2025 was . Reinstating those constraints is now one of at least meant to rein in ICE enforcement that congressional Democrats say they need in order to support long-term Department of Homeland Security funding and end the partial government shutdown that is

Their conditions were outlined in a signed by the House and Senate Democratic minority leaders, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer, and include more widely publicized rules, such as prohibiting agents from covering their faces with masks and mandating visible displays of identification. 

This week鈥檚 entreaty from the Head Start associations echoes those congressional demands. The early learning groups also urged federal lawmakers to ban DHS agents from interfering with school drop-off or pickup at their programs, including at bus stops, citing another incident in Chicago where a father was his two young kids to school. They were left in the back of the car alone.

鈥淎cross the country, children are being harmed by immigration enforcement actions,鈥� the letter reads. 鈥淗ead Start programs report that children are experiencing changes in behavior and exhibiting signs of fear and anxiety. Families are missing work, keeping their children home, and facing housing and food insecurity.鈥�

Last Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked a spending bill , extending the shutdown and demonstrating they remained firm in their demands.

That same day marked a major change in the department鈥檚 increasingly unpopular leadership, with Trump Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The move followed questions about her handling of department spending as well as mounting criticism around her response to the deadly ICE shootings of two American citizens at protests in Minneapolis earlier this year. 

Trump announced his plan to nominate Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her replacement, though his new pick does not seem to signal any planned shift in enforcing the president鈥檚 mass deportation agenda. 

鈥楽afer but not safe鈥�

Policy limiting immigration enforcement near schools, hospitals and churches was formally introduced in the early days of the Clinton administration through a

In the decades since, similar policies have been modified, clarified or codified by presidents from both parties. In 2011, near the end of President Barack Obama鈥檚 first term, his administration formally expanded the policy, which was then further clarified under President Joe Biden in 2021.

Trump鈥檚 January directive marked a significant departure from these largely bipartisan, long-standing rules, including during his own first term, when DHS issued a saying they would continue to follow sensitive location protocol. 

According to a DHS the policy Trump put forth in his second term was instituted to prevent 鈥渃riminal aliens 鈥� including murders [sic] and rapists鈥� from being 鈥渁ble to hide in America鈥檚 schools and churches to avoid arrest.鈥� Some more stringent guardrails have since been reinstated for places of worship, but not for schools or early learning centers.

Providers in Illinois 鈥� and across the country 鈥� argue this scenario only serves to traumatize children and make their educational spaces less safe.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had kids that aren鈥檛 coming anymore because they鈥檙e too afraid to come to school,鈥� said Kelly Neidel, the executive director of a different Head Start agency in Illinois, which also provides wraparound services to families. 鈥淥ur food pantry [has] declined. So these people are making a choice 鈥� to eat or potentially get picked up.鈥�

In April 2025, a number of organizations filed a lawsuit in Oregon, challenging Trump鈥檚 new edict and in September, they were joined by , including staff and parents from a preschool.

In February, the country’s two largest teachers unions filed an , citing an incident in Oregon in which agents smashed in the car window of a father dropping his child off at a day care, as well as students and teachers at Minneapolis鈥檚 Roosevelt High School being assaulted with tear gas in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Renee Good.

While advocates and providers are hopeful that a forthcoming DHS bill will include a reinstatement of sensitive location protections, some argue it wouldn鈥檛 go far enough. 

The Illinois Head Start director, who went out patrolling on Halloween to protect families and kids, said now that she鈥檚 seen what federal immigration agents are capable of, it would make her feel 鈥渟afer but not safe.鈥�

鈥淚t might deter them from coming, but would it deter all of them?鈥� she asked. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. I honestly cannot answer that question. I cannot answer confidently that they would not enter even if that order was in place.鈥�

Wendy Cervantes, a director at The Center for Law and Social Policy, is helping to lead the charge on federal legislation, which would codify sensitive location policies into law, significantly strengthening their power.

, introduced in the House in February 2025, would prohibit immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of such places, except in certain extreme circumstances. If an officer violated these rules, any resulting information wouldn鈥檛 be admissible in court and the targeted person could move to terminate any resulting removal proceedings. 

Since early January, the bill has gained 33 co-sponsors in the House and four in the Senate, meaning over two-thirds of the Democratic caucus is officially in support. It has also been endorsed by over across the country. No Republicans have signed on.聽

Some states, including Illinois, have passed their own bills over the past year, but because they have to align with federal policy, they鈥檙e largely aimed at providing guidance and setting protocols for how local entities should address ICE. 

鈥淚t would make a huge difference to have this done at the federal level,鈥� Cervantes said.

鈥楢 horrendous day鈥�

The Illinois director of programs, who funds centers across a metropolitan area in the state, said that from day one of the second Trump administration she felt a significant shift in the federal approach to early childhood learning. In addition to increased ICE enforcement, her Head Start classrooms 鈥� along with thousands of others across the nation 鈥� experienced delays in funding that threatened to shutter them. 

Once their grant came through, she and her colleagues had to wade through the realities of operating under the administration鈥檚 diversity, equity and inclusion ban, which threatened the core of their work, she said.

Things escalated in September after a father of two, was shot and killed during a highly publicized ICE traffic stop in nearby Franklin Park, Illinois. He had just dropped off one of his children at a Head Start classroom.

鈥淲e knew they would eventually be coming our way,鈥� she said, and early learning centers across the region began to prepare. 

That reality hit the morning of Oct. 31 鈥� 鈥渁 horrendous day鈥� she said, which filled her with fear and made her cry tears of anger. 

And the fear has not subsided, she said, for the families she serves, the staff she employs or for herself. As the child of immigrants and a woman of color, she鈥檚 started carrying her passport.

Mirroring steps taken by other early childhood providers in Illinois, images of fake and real warrants have now been posted at the front doors of her centers so staff can differentiate, along with a script of what to say should an ICE agent approach. Head Start Parent Council meetings have moved to Zoom so parents who fear leaving their homes can still remain involved, and centers have organized food drop-offs. 

Programs have installed incident commanders and some have hired security details. Others have their own staff standing guard, but directors fear for their safety too, since many are immigrants themselves.

In November, ICE agents chased one day care worker into the center where she worked in Chicago鈥檚 North Side neighborhood. She was in front of children, and subsequently arrested. She was a week later after a federal judge ruled her arrest was illegal because she wasn’t given a preliminary bond hearing.

Volunteer rapid response teams have formed across Illinois to alert providers of nearby ICE activity. In one incident, they were called to stand guard during a field trip to a children鈥檚 museum where ICE was 鈥渉ot and heavy,鈥� according to Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, the executive director of the Illinois Head Start Association, which advocates for all state providers.

鈥淟ast fall was terrible,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 cried every day.鈥� 

鈥淥ur ask is keep ICE out of Head Start [and] early Head Start classrooms, facilities, our playgrounds, our parking lots and not interfere in our work or our day-to-day,鈥� she added. 鈥淔amilies need safe spaces to send children 鈥� making our facilities safe when ICE is surrounding them is really hard.鈥�

The U.S. Senate has until Friday night to approve a package of funding measures or else risk another government shutdown. That package includes funding for child care subsidies, Head Start, and other services for young kids.

Senate Democrats have said they oppose the spending measure because it also includes funding the Department of Homeland Security. They want new restrictions on immigration enforcement, and to split it off from the other funding bills in the package in the  by federal officers.

In addition to Head Start and child care, the bills in the six-part package include funding for infant and early childhood mental health, maternal health, and home-heating assistance,

鈥淭here is no reason that funding for children, for babies, for meeting their very basic needs should be contingent on whether or not ICE gets funding,鈥� said Melissa Boteach, the chief policy officer at Zero to Three, an advocacy organization for babies and young kids. 鈥淸Young kids] are in the most rapid stage of brain development. They have immediate needs that need to be met.鈥�

Head Start disruption: What could happen?

The last government shutdown in the fall lasted 43 days, and several Head Start programs in California . Boteach said there may be a few centers that are immediately affected, and others later on if a shutdown drags on, depending on when the center鈥檚 grant cycles starts.

Those most at risk are programs that have a Feb. 1 start date, said Melanee Cottrill, executive director of Head Start California, of which she estimated there are around 6-10.

Head Start is a federally-funded program that provides early education and other services to children in low-income families. 鈥溾�奆or many of these children, these are also the most nutritious meals that they get every day [at Head Start],鈥� Cottrill said.

鈥淚t’s not guaranteed that they’ll close their doors if there is a government shutdown. It really depends on whether they have other funding sources,鈥� she added.

Federal funding for childcare subsidies for low-income children (which is administered through the state) is also part of the funding package. Earlier this month, President Trump said he would freeze that funding to California, though  has been tied up in court.

鈥淭here’s already been a good deal of instability in these programs and for families who rely on them and are just hopeful that the Congress can finish this off and, uh, be able to move forward,鈥� said Donna Sneeringer, president of the Child Care Resource Center, which runs Head Starts and child care subsidy programs in the Los Angeles area.

鈥淸Parents] feel very insecure 鈥� these temporary pauses鈥� the family’s lives don’t pause,鈥� said Mary Ignatius, who heads Parent Voices. 鈥溾�奟eal harm happens to the child care providers, the families, and the children who cannot afford any delays.”

This article was originally published by .

In late November, the leader of a Native American Head Start program on a reservation in Western Washington State opened an email from the federal government to see that her annual application for funding had been denied.聽

The government shutdown had already delayed the much-needed funds by weeks, threatening a closure of her center, which serves toddlers and preschoolers in a tribe of less than 1,000. And now, a week after the government had re-opened, her application had been 鈥渇lagged for containing language that is not allowable under current federal guidance.鈥�

The culprit? Two trainings for teachers 鈥� one focused on inclusionary practices for kids with autism and the other on tools to support young children as they process trauma. Integral to both 鈥� and also part of the rejection 鈥� an acknowledgment that Native American children would receive priority enrollment in her Head Start classrooms and programming, as federal policy stipulates. 

鈥淏ut we鈥檙e supposed to do those things,鈥� the education director, who asked not to be identified because she fears retribution from the Trump administration, told 社区黑料. 鈥淪o for them to pull them? I鈥檓 just 鈥� I鈥檓 not understanding.鈥�

Ultimately, although she deeply believed the training sessions and prioritizing indigenous children were inherent to her center鈥檚 success and part of its stated mission, she wiped the offending language. Her updated grant was almost immediately approved.

Until last week such existential calculations were being forced on Head Start programs across the country by the Trump’s administration 2025 executive order banning practices involving diversity, equity and inclusion. On Tuesday, a federal judge issued temporarily halting the administration’s anti-DEI edict. 

鈥淭his is a huge victory for kids!鈥� Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington State Head Start & Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, said in a statement. 鈥淲hen a Head Start program has their funding withheld because of their efforts to provide effective education to children with autism, serve tribal members on a reservation, or treat all families with respect, it is an attack on the fundamental promise of the Head Start program.鈥�

The federal early education and support program for low-income families turned 60 last year, a milestone that coincided with perhaps its most challenging and chaotic year. In 2025, the Trump administration  froze 鈥� then quickly unfroze, then delayed 鈥� grant funding, shuttered five regional offices and fired scores of employees. And during the government shutdown, roughly 10,000 kids across 22 programs lost access to services.

The administration also took aim at Head Start’s of better preparing young children in poverty for school by forbidding providers from overtly addressing issues of race, gender or disability, experts said. The banned word list for grant applications included “disabilities,” 鈥渦nderprivileged鈥� and 鈥淣ative American.鈥�

The Washington State Native American Head Start director said on reservations 鈥渏ust about every one of our children have been touched by trauma鈥� that relates to their race and the painful history of indigenous people in the U.S. 

鈥淚f we don鈥檛 know how to work with kids where things are being triggered,鈥� she added, 鈥渢hen how are we going to move forward and have the best education for these kids so they are not shutting down all the time?鈥�

Thrilled but cautious

The Jan. 6 injunction was part of a lawsuit filed in April 2025 against Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials, alleging that the administration was attempting to illegally dismantle Head Start, which serves roughly 700,000 children and families a year.

Roughly 80% of Head Start鈥檚 funding comes from HHS and it has long been a stated goal of the right wing to eliminate the program.

The ruling means that for the duration of the ongoing case, the administration can鈥檛 enforce the DEI ban nor can it punish Head Start providers for including DEI-related language in their applications or practices in their programs. The judge also ruled the administration cannot fire any more employees at the Office of Head Start, though the sweeping layoffs that have already occurred stand. 

Back in September, the same judge granted a temporary injunction halting the administration from banning undocumented preschoolers and other groups of immigrant children from enrolling in Head Start programs.

In a mandated announcement Friday afternoon, the federal Office of Head Start acknowledged the court鈥檚 ruling, saying, certain actions against “DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) … may not be implemented or enforced鈥� for the time being, though they didn鈥檛 provide any guidance for providers who were forced to remove training and programming in past applications.

The Office of Head Start and HHS did not immediately reply to a request for comment on whether further guidance was forthcoming. 

The Washington grantee expressed cautious optimism in response to the ruling, paired with significant anxiety about what comes next. Her approved application is a binding contract, she said, and since it does not include the trauma and autism trainings or prioritization of native kids, she fears she鈥檒l be deemed out of compliance and forced to pay back the money if she proceeds in that direction anyway. 

She said she could try to re-submit an updated application that includes the previously banned words, but 鈥渢hat would be calling more attention to us, and I really am afraid of the retaliation,鈥� especially given the non-permanent nature of  the injunction.

鈥淲henever you put 鈥榯emporary鈥� on something, I鈥檓 always cautious,鈥� she added. 鈥淵es, if more things come out I feel like there will be support and it鈥檒l take care of this, but you can鈥檛 be certain of that in this political climate.鈥� 

It鈥檚 possible the Trump administration could appeal the injunction and it鈥檚 not clear how long it will take the underlying case to work its way through the courts.

In the meantime, Ryan, executive director of Washington’s Head Start Association, emphasized that the Trump administration 鈥渃an鈥檛 enforce a contract that is going against the law.鈥� But, he acknowledged, 鈥渨hat that means on the ground is different, because there鈥檚 so much fear of retaliation.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 getting a sense that people will move with a lot of caution at first here to see what happens,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don’t know if they’re going to want to make wholesale changes right out of the gate.鈥�

Linda Morris, senior staff attorney at the ACLU鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Rights Project and one of the attorneys who filed the suit,  said that while this ruling 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 undo those harms that the administration already inflicted,鈥� it鈥檚 still 鈥渁 huge win for families and it鈥檚 a huge win for Head Start providers.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled with the decision,鈥� said Morris.

The initial DEI ban, she said, had put Head Start providers in 鈥渁n impossible bind,鈥� since they were being required to remove programming and words from their grant applications that were required by the statutory text of the Head Start Act. 

They were 鈥渋n constant fear of being forced to comply with an unlawful directive and potentially be out of step with their mission and their obligations under the Head Start Act or,鈥� she said, 鈥渢hey risk being punished and losing their funding and even being forced to close.鈥�

鈥業f it weren鈥檛 real life, it would be hilarious鈥�

Morris and her ACLU colleagues first filed the lawsuit last spring on behalf of a number of state Head Start Associations as well as parent organizations. Initially, the complaint challenged the mass layoffs and restructuring of the federal Office of Head Start as well as the DEI ban, alleging all were causing irreparable harm.

In July, they updated the complaint following the Trump administration’s unprecedented move to exclude families from Head Start based on immigration status.

The complaint was again updated after the executive director of a Head Start agency in Wisconsin had her Jan. 1 grant application returned with instructions to remove 19 words and phrases, including 鈥渋nstitutional,鈥� 鈥渉istorically,鈥� 鈥渆quity,鈥� 鈥渂elong鈥� and 鈥減regnant people.鈥� Later that morning, the Office of Head Start followed up with a 鈥渃omplete least of [nearly 200] words鈥� banned from Head Start applications.

In response, senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) issued a Dec. 18 to RFK Jr. expressing 鈥渙utrage.鈥�

鈥淭he chaos you are creating is already jeopardizing services for nearly 700,000 young children across this country,鈥� they wrote, adding that 鈥渢he ambiguous policy was not accompanied by clarification on what the Administration considers 鈥楧EI,鈥� and Head Start programs were left with no meaningful guidance on compliance.鈥�

Ultimately, the Wisconsin provider updated her application to fit this new criteria, but, she wrote in a court record, 鈥渃ompliance is challenging because many of the words on the list are integral to Head Start programming requirements.鈥� The grant application itself, she noted, 鈥渁lready includes some of these prohibited words in pre-populated text 鈥� and application questions specifically request responses that include these words.鈥�

鈥淭his has put me in an impossible situation,鈥� she continued.

Jennie Mauer, the executive director of the Wisconsin Head Start Association, said this grantee was one of three in her state serving roughly 860 young children to have their applications returned this month because of the DEI ban. Another was accused of non-compliance for writing that they would make an effort to 鈥渦tilize small businesses, minority businesses, and women-owned businesses.鈥�

鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 real life, it would be hilarious,鈥� said Mauer. 鈥淭here are things that are in the form like, 鈥楾ell us how you鈥檙e going to serve children with disabilities,鈥� but then you can’t say the word 鈥榙isability.鈥� How do you wrap your head around that? It鈥檚 infuriating. I鈥檓 just wringing my hands over here.鈥�

The latest ruling, she said, 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 necessarily mean that everything is better, but it means that these worst-case scenarios aren’t going to come to fruition,鈥� at least not immediately.

And while she鈥檚 hopeful the government will comply with the judge鈥檚 order, damage has  been done to Head Start communities, she said, leaving program leaders, providers and families worried.

鈥淵ou feel like we’re in this sort of Cold War environment where people are afraid,” she said. 鈥淵ou shouldn鈥檛 be afraid of your government.鈥�

Note: 社区黑料 replaced two of the photos that ran in an earlier version of this story.

For some programs, the promise of incoming funding will be enough to restart operations. But many won鈥檛 be able to open their doors until they receive their federal dollars, which could take up to two weeks, said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director at the NHSA. 

Sheridan said the Trump administration understands the urgency and is 鈥渕oving as fast as they possibly can.鈥�

That said, this interruption had an opportunity cost, and it’s led to instability for families and providers, he said, adding that the shutdown caused staff to focus on issues they “should not be worried about,鈥� such as fundraising and contingency planning.

Some providers fear greater delays since the Trump administration shuttered half of the Head Start regional offices earlier this year. 

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to be working as hard as they can, but they鈥檙e going to be doing it with half the capacity,鈥� said Katie Hamm, former deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development under President Joe Biden.

And even once the funding comes through, closed centers will need to go through a series of logistical hurdles, including reaching out to families who may have found alternative child care arrangements and calling back furloughed staff, some of whom have found employment elsewhere. 

鈥淗ead Start is not a light switch,鈥� Hamm said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just turn it back on.鈥�

This interruption has also further eroded trust between grantees and the federal government that was already shaky, she added.

The Administration for Children and Families did not respond to a request for comment on when programs can anticipate communication from the office or their funding.

Since Nov. 1, approximately 65,000 kids and their families 鈥� close to 10% of all of those served by Head Start 鈥� have been at risk of losing their seats because their programs had not received their awarded funding during the longest government shutdown in history. The early care and education program delivers a range of resources to low-income families including medical screenings, parenting courses and connections to community resources for job, food and housing assistance. 

At the peak of the Head Start closures, roughly 10,000 kids across 22 programs lost access to services, according to Sheridan. A number of the remaining programs were able to stay open through private donations, loans, alternative funding streams and staff鈥檚 willingness to go without pay.

Valerie Williams, who runs a Head Start program with two facilities in Appalachian Ohio, was excited to tell parents that classrooms would be reopening soon. Her centers have been closed since Nov. 3, impacting 177 kids and 45 staff, many of whom already live paycheck to paycheck, she said.

A number of families were doubly impacted, losing access to Head Start鈥檚 resources as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, simultaneously. In the days leading up to the closure, Williams and her staff prepared families as best they could, sharing information about resources for food, assistance for utilities and heating and guidance on child care options. 

On Thursday, Williams wrote to parents via an online portal that she hopes to restart the normal school schedule sometime next week. The post was quickly flooded with comments. 

鈥淭his is super exciting!!鈥� wrote one parent. 鈥淏est news in a long time. Carter has been asking every day. Hope to see u guys very soon.鈥�

鈥淵ayyy,鈥� wrote another. 鈥淭he kids miss you guys so much!”

Still, Williams knows reopening won鈥檛 be seamless. Along with program leaders across the country, she鈥檒l need to call back furloughed staff, place food orders and handle a number of other operational challenges.

And despite the excitement, the transition back may also prove tricky for some kids.

鈥淚 do think that it will feel like starting school again for a lot of our classrooms,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been out for two weeks 鈥� You鈥檙e going to work on separation anxiety issues, you鈥檙e going to have to get into that routine again and the structure of a classroom environment. So I think that will be a big issue for a lot of our teachers.鈥� 

As of Friday afternoon, Williams was still awaiting communication from the federal Office of Head Start with information about the anticipated timeline for next steps. 

鈥淎s soon as we get that notice of award, [I want to] start our staff and kids back immediately,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he very next day.鈥�

Now that the shutdown has ended, what’s next for Head Start?

Funding for Head Start is complex. Some 80% comes from federal grants that are released to local providers on a staggered schedule throughout the year. This year, grant recipients with funding deadlines on the first of October and November were left scrambling, as the federal shutdown dragged on.

The government began to resume operations late Wednesday night after President Donald Trump signed a bill, funding through Jan. 30 and allowing programs that didn鈥檛 receive their funding on time, including Head Start, to use forthcoming dollars to backpay expenses incurred over the past month and a half.

Here鈥檚 what Hamm predicts will happen next: The Office of Head Start will recall all staff to resume, including those who were furloughed during the shutdown. The employees will review grant applications, a process which requires them to flag any language that might be reflective of diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Next, money will be sent along to the remaining regional offices, and eventually dispersed to individual grantees. The NHSA is hopeful that this process will be completed by Thanksgiving for all grantees.

There are two things the federal government can do to help centers open faster, according to Hamm. First, they could waive a typical protocol that leads to a period of seven days between when a member of Congress is notified that their state will be receiving funding and when the funding actually goes out, Hamm explained. 

Officials could also notify grantees, in writing, about how much money they鈥檒l get and when it鈥檚 expected to come through, so they can begin planning. 

Unlike SNAP, which received guaranteed funding through the budget year, money for Head Start remains uncertain beyond Jan. 30. While the fear of another shutdown has caused 鈥渜uite a bit of worry鈥� among the Head Start community, Sheridan said it would likely lead to fewer program disruptions, since it wouldn鈥檛 fall at the start of the fiscal year.

To prevent similar chaos moving forward, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin introduced in the final days of the shutdown that would guarantee uninterrupted service for fiscal year 2026. 

鈥淭he 750,000 children and their families who use Head Start shouldn鈥檛 pay the price for Washington dysfunction,鈥� Baldwin, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, wrote in a statement to 社区黑料.

Multiple funding threats and deep staffing cuts by the Trump administration over the past year have plunged programs across the country into uncertainty. In the wake of that recent upheaval, a leadership change is also underway. The acting director of the Office of Head Start, Tala Hooban, accepted a new role within the Office of Administration for Children and Families and will be replaced by political appointee Laurie Todd-Smith, according to an email statement from ACF. Todd-Smith currently leads the Office of Early Childhood Development, which oversees the Office of Head Start. 

Sheridan described this move as anticipated and not particularly concerning, though others were less sure. Joel Ryan, the executive director of the Washington State Association of Head Start, noted that Hooban was a longtime civil servant and strong supporter of the Head Start program. Without her, he fears 鈥渢here鈥檚 nobody internally with any kind of power that will push back,鈥� on future threats to the program.

Another worry plaguing providers: current funding for Head Start has remained stagnant since the end of 2024, meaning that through at least Jan. 30, programs will be operating under the same budget amid rising costs across the board.

In previous years, the program鈥檚 grant recipients typically got a cost-of-living adjustment, such as the bump ($275 million) for fiscal year 2024. In May, a group of almost 200 members of Congress signed to a House Appropriations subcommittee, requesting an adjustment of 3.2% for 2026. A recent statement from NHSA suggested that instead, the proposed Senate bill for next year includes a jump of just , or $77 million.

鈥淚f we don’t see a funding increase in line with inflation, that means that Head Start will be facing a cut of that degree,鈥� said Sheridan. 鈥淚t’s just kind of a quiet cut, or a silent cut.鈥�

鈥淚 think what will end up happening,鈥� said Ryan, 鈥渋s you鈥檒l end up seeing a massive reduction in the number of kids being served.鈥�

After the federal government failed to renew a $1.5 million federal grant by Saturday, officials at the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency say they had little choice: They closed a free preschool program that has served two counties in Michigan鈥檚 Upper Peninsula since 1965.

The program was among that missed expected weekend payments because of the ongoing federal government shutdown. Unlike others, the UP program could not secure alternative resources in time to continue operations.

That means 85 students 鈥� along with 30 other families with children in Early Head Start 鈥� won鈥檛 be getting the education, meals and other services they rely on until funding is restored. And employees are currently out of work, program director Renee Pertile told Bridge Michigan.

鈥淲e’re kind of one big family, and now it seems like a piece is missing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s awfully quiet here today.鈥�

Funded primarily by the federal government to serve low-income preschoolers and their families, Head Start programs in Michigan and around the country are among the latest to feel direct impacts from the government shutdown that鈥檚 dragged on for more than a month.

Coupled with the recent impacting 1.4 million Michigan residents, advocates warn the ongoing turmoil surrounding federal funding is putting vulnerable kids at risk.

While local schools and community groups can in some cases step in to help keep Head Start programs going, those resources are 鈥渘ot going to be universal, and it’s not going to be a one-to-one replacement,鈥� said Bob McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan.

鈥淭he longer this goes on, the more damage it’s going to do,鈥� McCann continued. 鈥淭his is a crisis of choice by (politicians), and it’s kids that are paying the price for it.鈥� 

As of Tuesday, the Gogebic-Ontonagon program was the only confirmed closure in Michigan since Nov. 1, , which has so far reported 25 closures nationwide. 

Education advocates warned other programs around the state that have missed grant payments are at imminent risk of running out of money, too. 

Statewide, Michigan has 48 Head Start and Early Head Start programs that serve nearly 30,000 children, bringing in $423 million in federal funds annually, said Robin J. Bozek, executive director of the Michigan Head Start Association. 

Nine of those programs serving 2,944 children, many of them in the Upper Peninsula and northern lower Michigan, saw their funding grants expire Nov. 1, Bozek said. 

Though some of those programs have been able to piece together enough funds from local schools or community groups to temporarily keep them afloat, the lack of new federal funding means money is tight and the future is uncertain, Bozek said. 

鈥淎nytime there’s a pause or a stop鈥t totally disrupts the system for this type of grant,鈥� she said. 

For the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency, there was no money to fall back on. When the grant didn鈥檛 come through, the Head Start program had to wind down. 

鈥淲e started looking at this in mid-October, thinking, we鈥檇 better prepare just in case this was going to happen,鈥� Pertile said. 鈥淎s it got closer to the deadline, we knew that it was highly unlikely we would get our grant.鈥�

In the short term, program employees are able to collect unemployment, and a local daycare offered to open up temporary slots to help care for kids who鈥檇 previously been attending the Head Start program, Pertile said. 

The agency is also looking at the possibility of setting up a mobile food drive for local families in need, and Pertile is planning to provide weekly updates to staff and parents as they learn more.

Even if the shutdown ends tomorrow, it will still take some time to get operations back up and running, she added, noting that many Head Start participants in their rural community don鈥檛 have other options readily available for early learning programs, health checks and meals. 

鈥淭he longer this goes on, the more concerned we get,鈥� Pertile said. 鈥淏ecause we’re such a rural program, there are limited resources鈥hey might be able to do it for a couple weeks, but then they might have to look for something more permanent.鈥�

Looking ahead to next month, grants for another four Michigan Head Start programs will come up for renewal Dec. 1, Bozek said, meaning the financial pressures felt by Gogebic-Ontonagon and eight other programs could soon extend to others across Michigan. 

Losing Head Start options would be 鈥渁 huge hardship鈥� to families whose parents need a safe place for their young children while at work, Bozek said. 

But beyond that, she said, it would put early educators out of work and cut needy families off from a connector for additional resources, including food assistance, health care, and even warm coats for kids as the cold weather creeps in. 

鈥淲hen a Head Start program closes, it impacts the entire community,鈥� Bozek said.

This first appeared on and is republished here under a .

Some Head Start providers in Louisiana have taken out loans to keep operating if the government shutdown stretches into its second month.

At least two organizations 鈥� in the Lafayette area and in New Orleans 鈥� are supposed to receive funding through the federal early-learning program for low-income families on Nov. 1. That money won鈥檛 be distributed if the government remains closed.

Local programs are funded annually, but grants are renewed on different timelines, so the shutdown won鈥檛 be felt equally across the state and country.

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Nationally, 134 centers serving more than 65,000 kids will run out of federal funds at the end of the month, according to the National Head Start Association.

More than 18,000 kids participate in Head Start programs in Louisiana, though only about 1,300 would be impacted on Nov. 1.

In Alabama, fewer than 1,000 children would be affected, and none in Mississippi. The states hardest hit next month include Florida, Georgia, Missouri, and Ohio.

Prime Time serves approximately 635 kids across four locations in the Lafayette area. Clover, formerly Kingsley House, enrolls about 700 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years in New Orleans.

approved a $650,000 loan to Prime Time, its subsidiary, earlier this month, to maintain services through November. LEH is 鈥減lanning ahead for Dec. 1, the next critical date if the shutdown continues,鈥� the head of both organizations, Miranda Restovic, said in a .

Clover has a line of credit to cover its expenses next month, its spokesperson, Sabrina Written, said, but couldn鈥檛 comment on funding beyond that.

Yolanda Motley, Clover鈥檚 head of early learning, said this is the first time the organization has had to take out a line of credit in its more than 100-year history.

鈥淭his is a very different time for all of us,鈥� Motley said. 鈥淲e are in a dire situation.鈥�

They have enough money to operate through November with 鈥渏ust the basics,鈥� she said. That means no field trips, festivities, staff travel or professional development.

If the shutdown lasts, Motley said she doesn鈥檛 know if Clover can keep providing services into December.

鈥淲e need the shutdown to end,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are children who won鈥檛 have access to learning. They get three meals a day鈥� our families won鈥檛 be able to go to work. It鈥檚 gonna be a ripple effect.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.

This story was originally published by . for their newsletters.

One California Head Start program has closed and three others face imminent closure due to the federal government shutdown, affecting about 1,000 very-low-income children and 270 teachers.聽

The closures would leave families scrambling for child care and teachers without income. The longer the shutdown drags on, the more programs are at risk of shuttering.聽

鈥淟osing a Head Start program has detrimental effects not just on children and families, but also has immense ripple effects on the community,鈥� said Melanee Cottrill, executive director of Head Start California. 鈥淗ead Start is far more than a safe place for children to learn and grow 鈥� it鈥檚 a community hub 鈥� The negative effect on regional employment and the local economy would be felt many times over.鈥澛�

A Head Start program in Santa Cruz County has already closed, upending child care arrangements for hundreds of families.

Encompass Community Services, a Santa Cruz nonprofit, was forced to close all 11 of its Head Start centers on Thursday because no one at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was available to process the group鈥檚 Nov. 1 grant renewal or send money.

鈥淗ead Start is part of the fabric of this community,鈥� said Elaine Johnson, chair of the Encompass board. 鈥淭his is about babies, children, and families not having access to basic needs.鈥�

The centers, mostly clustered in the farmlands around Watsonville, serve some of the lowest-income families in the region. About 300 children are enrolled in its program.

3,000 children at risk聽

Three more Head Start programs in California 鈥� in Los Angeles, the Central Valley and the far northern part of the state 鈥� also have Nov. 1 grant deadlines and face imminent closure. Another four programs with Dec. 1 deadlines would be the next to shutter if the government shutdown continues.聽

In all, more than 3,000 children and hundreds of teachers at those eight centers would be affected within the next month if Congress fails to adopt a budget.

Nationwide, about 134 programs serving 65,000 children face closure this week due to the shutdown 鈥� with Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Missouri having the of children affected, according to the National Head Start Association. Even if Congress agrees to fund the federal government this week, re-opening would not happen immediately: It could take up to six weeks for the money to reach individual Head Start centers.

Popular and effective

Founded in the mid-1960s, Head Start is a free child care program providing meals and a play-based academic curriculum for children from birth through age 5. Families can get prenatal visits, referrals for medical and dental care, housing and job assistance and other services.聽

To qualify, families must earn below the federal poverty level 鈥� $26,650 a year for a family of three. In California, that bar is very difficult to meet due to the . Last year, the state鈥檚 Head Start centers enrolled about 83,000 children at 1,835 centers.

Head Start, created to give low-income families a boost, has largely been successful: Alumni have higher graduation rates, higher college-going rates and are less likely to live in poverty as adults, .

It鈥檚 also very popular. When President Donald Trump threatened to cut the entire program this past spring, Head Start supporters flooded Congress with urgent pleas to save it from the budget axe. , although other government cuts have left a deep impact on the organization and its families.

Potential cuts to the federal , or SNAP, and Medicaid would have an immediate impact on Head Start families, while other recent cuts have already hampered Head Start鈥檚 day-to-day operations, Cottrill said.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department, which oversees Head Start, closed half of its regional offices in April, leading to long delays in processing paperwork. For Head Start centers, that鈥檚 meant months-long holdups for routine purchases such as dishwashers, Cottrill said, along with delays related to minor program changes.

Back-up plans

In Santa Cruz, Encompass was able to partner with the Pajaro Valley Unified School District in Watsonville to temporarily provide child care to most of the families enrolled in Head Start, starting next week. But the past few months of budget uncertainty have been nerve-wracking, Kim Morrisson, interim executive director, said.

The organization has been in talks with a slew of state and local agencies to come up with back-up plans for funding the $9-million-a-year program.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to roll with the punches and just focus on serving our families,鈥� Morrison said. 鈥淗ead Start is a big, national program. We just can鈥檛 imagine a world where it doesn鈥檛 exist.鈥�

This article was and was republished under the license.

But this Monday, she won鈥檛 have a classroom to go to.

That鈥檚 because the ongoing government shutdown has forced her Highland County, Ohio, program to shutter, impacting 177 kids and 45 staffers. Across the state, at least three providers will close their doors, cutting off services to at least 1,000 young children and employment to 286 Head Start workers.

And Ohio is not alone. In all, 134 programs across 41 states and Puerto Rico serving are at risk of closing Monday morning as federal funds expire this weekend. Since the beginning of October, an additional six Head Start programs serving 6,525 children in Florida, South Carolina and Alabama have been operating without federal funding, drawing on emergency local resources to keep their doors open.聽

In total, these approximately 65,000 kids account for close to 10% of all of those served by the early learning and child care program for lower-income families.

News of their Head Start program鈥檚 closure has hit Price鈥檚 community in the Appalachia foothills particularly hard.

鈥淚 had a parent come up and grab me and hug me and she cried and I cried,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou know, a lot of parents really rely on our program. It’s pretty much invaluable in our county.鈥�

Sarah Allen’s family is among those feeling the pain. Her 3-year-old daughter Hallie attends Head Start while Allen, a former Head Start teacher herself, works on obtaining her state teaching license and substitute teaches at the local school to make extra money. Her husband is a firefighter.

Starting next week, they鈥檒l both have to work fewer hours to stay home with Hallie, creating financial hardship for the family.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 work if I don鈥檛 have a babysitter and prices keep going up for everything 鈥� and food costs are crazy,鈥� said Allen, who is also worried about the interruption to her daughter鈥檚 education.

Many Head Start families could face a double blow, losing access to the program and food assistance on the same day, with funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, set to run out Saturday as well. An infusion of contingency funding from the White House earlier this month for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, is expected

About 50 miles south of Highland, right along the Ohio river, sits Scioto County, another Appalachian stretch, parts of it so rural that some communities don鈥檛 have stop lights. Come Monday morning, Head Start classrooms across 10 centers in the region 鈥� serving 400 early learners and infants 鈥� will shut down and all 100 staff members, 60% of whom are former Head Start parents, will be furloughed. 

Communities in , leaving many kids to be raised by grandparents or other family members, who are heavily reliant on Head Start programming, said Sarah Sloan, early childhood director of the county鈥檚 Community Action Organization. Other parents are in recovery themselves, she added, and lean on Head Start to provide a safe and stable place for their kids.

Their programming is where families already under stress come to get help, she said. 

Despite this, the reception to the grim news that classrooms would close 鈥� from both families and staff 鈥� 鈥漢as just been so generous,鈥� Sloan said Wednesday, her voice cracking.

鈥淚 have not heard one negative word from our parents. They have said things like, 鈥榃e are in this together. We understand. We hate it for your staff. We’re worried.鈥欌��

Some states find last-minute funding, others don鈥檛

社区黑料 spoke with over a dozen Head Start Association presidents, providers, teachers and parents in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio and Washington, the six states with the largest number of seats at risk.

Some states, such as Ohio and Washington, are bracing for imminent closures, but others, such as Missouri and most of Georgia, have been able to access other sources of funding, giving them a runway of a week or two. This means that where a young child lives will determine whether or not they have a staffed classroom in a few days and if their families can access the range of other resources Head Start offers, from health care services to parenting courses.

While each state faces it own challenges, a few universal themes emerged: an assertion that even if local Head Start organizations are able to scrape together enough funding to keep their doors open, it will only be temporary, extending access for a few days or weeks; fear that the borrowed funds to stay operational may not be reimbursed once the federal government reopens; and concern that low-income families will lose access to food assistance at the same time. 

Head Start, which turned 60 this year, provides children at least two meals a day. All of this is setting off alarm bells about the unprecedented nature of the government crisis and the devastating effect it will likely have on the country’s most vulnerable families.

They will begin feeling the blowback from D.C. this weekend, as some parents are forced to choose between caring for their kids and showing up for work.

Funding for Head Start is complex. Some 80% comes from federal grants that are released to local providers on a staggered schedule throughout the year. Grant recipients with funding deadlines on the first of October and November are now scrambling, as the second-longest federal shutdown in history heads into its fourth week.

While there this week, Senate Republicans and Democrats have repeatedly failed to come to an agreement on a funding bill. Democrats are that have allowed millions of people to access health care since the pandemic, while Republicans say they won鈥檛 negotiate until Congress passes a bill to reopen the government. 

President Donald Trump has with cuts so far, though interruptions to Head Start funding would impact thousands of families across the political spectrum, with some of the severest programming losses falling on red states.

This has all compounded existing financial strain on local programs, many of which have struggled to hire and retain teachers, according to the National Head Start Association. It also follows multiple funding threats and deep staffing cuts by the Trump administration that have plunged Head Start programs across the country into chaos and uncertainty this year. 

鈥楾hese are actual people鈥�

No state has more seats at risk than Florida, with 9,711. While the majority of centers across the state will be able to remain open through the first two weeks of November, at least one program in West Palm Beach serving children of migrant families and seasonal workers will be forced to shutter this weekend, according to Wanda Minick, executive director of the Florida Head Start Association. The closure will impact 386 children and 283 staff across six centers, she said.

Minick wants Congress and the president to understand, 鈥淭hese are not just data points. These are actual people.鈥�

In neighboring Georgia, policymakers were preparing to potentially close centers serving 6,499 children and infants, until a last-minute, bridge loan from The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta鈥檚 Impact Investing Fund came through The $8 million means that three major providers, serving 5,800 kids, will remain open for at least 45 days, though that leaves hundreds of others throughout the state still in a lurch. 

Juanita Yancey, executive officer of the Georgia Head Start Association, expressed her gratitude for the money while emphasizing that it鈥檚 only a stopgap measure.

鈥淭ime is running out,鈥� she said. 鈥淧rograms are doing everything possible to keep their doors open, but they cannot run a program on reserves or goodwill. Every day of inaction is another day of uncertainty for families who count on Head Start services.鈥�

鈥淭his shutdown is pushing programs to the breaking point when children and families can least afford it,鈥� she added.

The bulk of Head Start seats in Missouri also appear to be safe 鈥� at least for now, according to Kasey Lawson, director of the Mid-America Regional Council, which serves 2,350 kids across 17 providers. Though that still leaves about 1,500 seats unaccounted for. 

For Lawson鈥檚 17 providers, the choice to remain open is both temporary and a risk, she said, since the centers don鈥檛 have that money 鈥渏ust sitting in the bank,鈥� and they fear they won鈥檛 receive backpay once the federal government does reopen.

Lawson said they鈥檝e asked legislators, members of Congress and the federal Office of Head Start, which is under the Department of Health and Human Services, to guarantee reimbursement as they have in the past, yet 鈥渘obody’s willing to do that. And so it is the reality of where we sit right now, that it is a true risk that all of our agencies are taking.鈥�

And even though most Head Start families in Missouri will have a place to send their kids Monday morning, many may still face a significant burden as at least 1,100 rely on expiring SNAP benefits.

In North Carolina, where 4,697 seats are at risk, at least one center will be forced to close this Friday, said Terry David, president of the state鈥檚 Head Start Association. Classrooms that are based in the local school district should be able to remain open through the end of the calendar year, he said, but that only accounts for about 140 kids.

Across the country, in Washington state, at least one program in the city of Vancouver, which serves at least 175 kids, will close this weekend. Another in the same region, The Margaret Selway Early Learning Center, will remain open through Nov. 7, but each day beyond that is uncertain, according to Nancy Trevena, chief strategy officer at the Educational Opportunities for Children and Families.

Kimberly Gusey鈥檚 foster son, Ranger, is a student at Margaret Selway and is especially dependent on Head Start services. The program was able to secure a one-to-one certified nursing assistant for Ranger, who has cerebral palsy, is nonverbal and is fed through a G-tube. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing,鈥� Gusey said, her voice breaking. 鈥淚t brings me to tears how much they鈥檝e done for us.鈥�

If the program closes next week, Gusey鈥檚 husband will have to quit his job as a mechanic to care for Ranger.

鈥淲e鈥檙e talking a large amount of money not coming into our home, but we鈥檙e willing to do that because we love these children,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut in so many ways it affects us. Not [just] the pocketbook. The routines for the kids. The routines for us. Everything is affected by this.鈥�

This accounts for close to 10% of all of those served by the early learning programs for lower-income families. 

Due to the timing of federal grants, six Head Start programs serving 6,525 children in Florida, South Carolina and Alabama are already operating without federal funding, the association said. So far, they鈥檝e been able to keep their doors open by drawing on emergency local resources, but that money could soon dry up.  

By Nov. 1, an additional 134 programs across 41 states and Puerto Rico, serving 58,627 children, will face the same fate. In Florida alone, 9,711 Head Start and Early Head Start seats are threatened.

鈥淧rograms are scrambling,鈥� said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association. 鈥淲e don’t want to see our children become the victims or [get] caught in the crosshairs of these types of political fights.鈥�

Katie Hamm, former deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development under President Joe Biden, called it a significant threat and 鈥渢he latest attack in a series of attacks on Head Start鈥� since President Donald Trump took office for a second time in January.

鈥淲hat we don’t know is who’s going to have to close immediately, but some will,鈥� Hamm told 社区黑料 Friday, noting the damaging impact closures would have on some of the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable children and their families.

Sheridan expressed similar fears: 鈥渓osing that type of routine, which is so critical for young children 鈥� especially young children who have so much going on in their lives 鈥� is really problematic for their development.鈥�

鈥淏eyond that,鈥� he said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to force parents into making some really tough decisions.”

Head Start parents often work multiple jobs, yet still live under the federal poverty line and so are unable to afford other sources of child care and early learning. If the shutdown continues, Sheridan said, some may have to leave the workforce to care for their kids themselves.

The government shutdown has now dragged into its third week, after Senate Republicans and Democrats have repeatedly failed to come to an agreement on a funding bill. Democrats are that have allowed millions of people to access health care since the pandemic, while Republicans say they won鈥檛 negotiate until Congress passes a bill to reopen the government. 

President Donald Trump has with cuts so far, though interruptions to Head Start funding would impact thousands of families across the political spectrum. For example, in alone, just over 3,700 children are in jeopardy of losing services as of Nov. 1.

This has all compounded existing financial strain on local programs, many of which have struggled to hire and retain teachers, according to the national association. It also follows multiple funding threats and deep staffing cuts by the Trump administration that have plunged Head Start programs across the country into chaos and uncertainty this year. 

The administration froze 鈥� then quickly unfroze, then delayed 鈥� grant funding, shuttered five regional offices and fired scores of employees. They also grant recipients that funding would be denied for any programming that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, without defining what that might include 鈥� leading to confusion and a lawsuit. 

Then, in July, the administration announced a drastic federal policy shift that would bar many immigrant families from the early education centers. In September, a Seattle judge ruled that these kids can remain in Head Start programs throughout the country, while a case challenging Trump鈥檚 order makes its way through the courts.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the Office of Head Start, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hamm emphasized that cuts to Head Start services would have a ripple effect across communities, especially rural ones for whom the program may be the only early learning program available as well as a relied-upon contributor to the local economy.

And once a program closes, it can鈥檛 always quickly re-open, as laid off staff may be forced to find employment elsewhere.

鈥淗ead Start is not a light switch,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can’t just turn it off and then two weeks later open it back up.鈥�

Since its inception in the 1960s, Head Start programs have reached and their families, the majority of whom meet federal low-income guidelines. the $12.1 billion program served about 754,800 children from birth to age 5, as well as pregnant mothers and their families in urban, suburban and rural areas in all 50 states and six territories.

They also connect families to community and federal assistance and can help provide a career pathway for parents into early child care and education. The 1,600 local agencies are funded by the federal government, though many also tap into state and local revenue sources.

Historically during shutdowns, Head Start agencies were able to take out loans or dip into reserve funding with confidence that they鈥檇 be reimbursed once the government re-opened. While Hamm said she doesn鈥檛 have any reason to believe this administration will change that policy, 鈥渢he way that they have been targeting certain programs and federal staff is leading people to worry,鈥� including banks that have in the past acted as lenders. 

Compounding this anxiety is a concern around other programs that Head Start families often rely on, such as Medicaid; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC; and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

Despite these hurdles, Sheridan said the Head Start community has really rallied to try and protect and support kids. That being said, the coming challenges are “really disheartening, because children and families should never be put at risk because of political gridlock.鈥�

Talk of government shutdowns has become common in Washington, but Congress is usually able to avoid them by passing short-term funding bills to keep money flowing.

Not this time.

The federal government ceased operating at midnight Wednesday morning, adding more uncertainty into the nation鈥檚 education system after eight months of cancelled grants, funding freezes and the Trump administration鈥檚 moves to take back money Congress already approved.

For most schools, disruptions would be minimal in the short term. The U.S. Department of Education has released a saying that Title I funds for low-income schools and special education funding, expected on Wednesday, would be available as expected. But districts that rely on , such as those near military installations or national parks, could face cash flow problems. Nationally, nearly 1,100 districts, responsible for about eight million students, are eligible for those funds.

鈥淚n some cases, they need this funding for basic services such as keeping the buildings open, the lights on and the buses running,鈥� said Tara Thomas, government affairs manager at AASA, the School Superintendents Association. 

A shutdown that drags on for a few weeks or more could trigger additional funding problems for Head Start and school nutrition programs. 

Congress hasn鈥檛 completed its budget process on time since 1996, meaning that it on temporary funding measures to keep the government operating. In March, President Donald Trump signed that kept funding at 2024 levels. But that expired at midnight and lawmakers were unable to pass another continuation. The House passed a short-term funding bill that would have given members until Nov. 21 to finalize fiscal year 2026 budgets for all federal agencies. But Democrats are pushing for to offset the cuts to Medicaid in President Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥淥ne Big Beautiful Bill.鈥� They also want to extend tax cuts that lower the cost of insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act. Leaders of the two chambers met with the president, but made no progress. 

鈥淚f it has to shut down, it’ll have to shut down,鈥� Monday.

Districts and programs serving young children and families have based their expectations of this shutdown on 鈥減ast precedent,鈥� noted Melissa Boteach, chief policy officer at Zero to Three, a nonprofit advocacy organization focusing on infants and toddlers. But this administration is determined to make the federal government smaller. Trump has already signed one rescission package and wants to for teacher quality efforts toward its civics initiative centered on  the nation鈥檚 250th birthday. 

鈥淲e are not in times that have preceded us鈥� Boteach said.

One difference is that the administration, which blames Democrats for the shutdown, could seize on the pause in operations to further its goal of downsizing the government. 

“A lot of good can come down from shutdowns,鈥� from the Oval Office Tuesday. 鈥淲e can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want.”

On Sept. 24, the Office of Management and Budget agencies to consider additional mass layoffs of employees. Federal employee unions have already filed a lawsuit over the plan.

鈥淥nly time will tell,鈥� if McMahon or any other agency head acts on that suggestion, said Rachel Snyderman, managing director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank. 鈥滲ut this is certainly 鈥ew information this year.鈥�

Here are some of the ways a shutdown could impact schools and families:

Head Start

Six grantees serving roughly 6,500 children are expecting a new round of funding Wednesday, according to Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association. So far, none plan to close right away, but that could change if the shutdown lasts more than a few weeks. Beginning Nov. 1, additional grantees could be in the same position.

If programs don鈥檛 close, or if the shutdown is resolved quickly, even talk of disruption can mean children miss out on learning, Boteach added. In January, for example, the administration said Head Start was exempt from a . But over 50 programs serving more than 21,000 children were still locked out of payment systems and some had to close temporarily.

鈥淭here were still parents who were confused as to whether or not they could bring their kids and centers who were confused about whether or not they could pay employees,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here’s what technically happens, and then there’s fear, confusion and chaos.鈥� 

Many low-income families who qualify for Head Start or Early Head Start also receive nutrition assistance through the program. 

鈥淲e like to think program by program, but really it’s about the human being at the center of all of it,鈥� Boteach said.

The National Association of Counties that states may have to 鈥渞ely on their own funding streams鈥� to make sure families receive WIC benefits.

School Meals and SNAP

School nutrition programs rely on monthly reimbursements from the federal government to pay staff and purchase food and other supplies, said Diane Pratt-Heavner, spokeswoman for the School Nutrition Association, which represents district programs.

In its聽, the Department of Agriculture said it has enough funds on hand to pay schools back for September and October meals. The agency will also keep a “limited number” of staff on hand to oversee operations.聽

Families who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, should also receive benefits as usual and should not be affected if the shutdown lasts no more than a week. 

The last shutdown, which also occurred when Trump was in office, lasted 35 days over the 2018 Christmas holidays into late January. 

Education Department

In a shutdown, the majority of federal employees stop working. While some essential staff will remain available at the Education Department, civil rights investigations would be put on hold. A shutdown also halts the department鈥檚 work on any regulations or guidance being prepared, and states and districts won鈥檛 be able to reach anyone if they have questions about grants or other programs.

Work currently in progress includes gathering feedback on of the Institute for Education Sciences. Christy Wolfe, director of K-12 policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, noted that just last week, the department awarded $500 million through its Charter School Program. 

鈥淪chools that were planning on opening with those funds on a certain timeline,鈥� she said, 鈥渕ay have to be delayed.鈥�

The decision came just a day after another U.S. district court judge in Rhode Island granted a that offered similar protections to preschoolers That ruling also means undocumented residents can still access adult and career and technical education and won’t be cut off from a range of federally funded emergency services, including for domestic violence and homelessness.

Linda Morris, an ACLU attorney representing the plaintiffs in the Washington state case, said she was elated by the decision, noting its sweeping scope. 

鈥淭his is an incredible victory, especially for Head Start providers and Head Start children and families,鈥� she said. 鈥淭oday’s ruling makes clear that every child, no matter their immigration status, deserves access to early educational support. We are extremely pleased with the court鈥檚 decision.鈥� 

In issuing the national injunction, U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez strongly rebuked the Health and Human Services Department, which oversees Head Start and funds 80% of its costs, for changing a longstanding legal interpretation and classifying it for the first time as a federal public benefit. 

Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for these supports, including food assistance and non-emergency Medicaid. The move to restrict Head Start access is part of a wider Trump administration effort to exclude the undocumented from all taxpayer-funded services and programs, including several that involve education and job training.

The ruling restores Head Start eligibility to children and families who have student visas and other temporary statuses and were also excluded by HHS鈥檚 . The move affected the eligibility of more than 500,000 kids, according to the agency鈥檚 own analysis, and impacted approximately 115,000 children currently enrolled in the program.

Andrew Nixon, the HHS communications director, said Friday his office disagrees with the injunctions and is evaluating next steps. 

Head Start associations from four states and two parent and caregiver groups sued the agency and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Washington case. 

Joel Ryan is executive director of one of , the.

鈥淚 feel relief. I feel like people can breathe a little bit more,鈥� said Ryan, whose organization’s other legal claims against the administration are focused on confusion over its anti-diversity, equity and inclusion mandates and the mass firings of Head Start staff.

Martinez rejected the Trump administration鈥檚 assertion that Head Start is a welfare program because it provides other means of support, including meals. Public schools do the same and no one would argue they are not educational in nature, he wrote. 

鈥淧roviding services such as health care, nutrition and other social services does not make Head Start non-educational but, as the Head Start Act states, 鈥榩romotes the school readiness of low-income children by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development,鈥欌�� he wrote, noting, too, that Head Start funds do not provide payments of benefits to individual households or families. 

In court Tuesday, U.S. Department of Justice attorney Micheal Velchik tried to parse the degree of learning and instruction that takes place in Head Start from what鈥檚 taught at the K-12 level.聽

“It’s technically not school or education because it’s preschool. It’s what you do before school and so it’s not really education in that sense,” said Velchik, who mistakenly referred to the program as Head First several times.

Jannesa Calvo-Friedman, the plaintiffs鈥� attorney, said undocumented parents, families of mixed immigration status and others with full legal standing but who lack documentation told Head Start operators they were keeping their kids away out of fear or confusion.

鈥淭he children who are losing education at this time [in their lives] can never get it back,鈥� Calvo-Friedman said, citing studies on the critical nature of early learning. 鈥淯nless the directive is stayed or enjoined, defendants will continue to communicate the message that immigrant families need not apply.鈥�

Martinez agreed that allowing the directive to go into effect while the underlying case was being argued would impose imminent and irreparable harm.

鈥淲hile actual loss of funding from under enrollment might be down the road, families losing access to Head Start due to the Directive鈥檚 unclear guidance and chilling effects appears anything but speculative and exists even prior to enforcement,鈥� he notes.  

The judge expressed disbelief at the government’s contention that implementing the restriction immediately would discourage illegal immigration.

鈥淭he Court is floored by this argument,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淣othing on the record provides any means for this Court to infer that access to Head Start 鈥榠ncentivizes鈥� illegal immigration.鈥�

Head Start was established in 1965 to help improve kindergarten readiness for low-income children and to support their families. It has served young learners  and their families in the 60 years since. 

was originally reported by Chabeli Carrazana of .

For 60 years, Head Start has provided child care for the most vulnerable children in the United States with little controversy.

It was established by a Democratic president, Lyndon B. Johnson, in 1965, and supported by a since, including Richard Nixon, who called it ; Ronald Reagan, who established ; and George H. W. Bush, who . Legislators from both parties have supported Head Start, which operates in all 50 states, and is the only child care option available in some rural parts of the country.

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This year, though, politics came to the door of Head Start. Caught in the political crosshairs of the Trump administration, the program is facing unprecedented upheaval that could shutter child care centers and, as many of Head Start experts who spoke to The 19th see it, fundamentally alter the program.

鈥淔or me and for a lot of other directors, trust has been deeply broken,鈥� said Jen Bailey, executive director of Reach Dane, which operates 17 child care centers in Wisconsin and offers Head Start services. 鈥淭he mission is we serve the neediest of the needy and poorest of the poor. For us, changing that would violate the mission of Head Start.鈥�

The program, which now serves about , was created to support low-income families. It provides free child care to children ages 3 to 5 (Early Head Start serves those under 3) and offers a wide array of services for the entire family, including prenatal support, health screenings and connecting parents to job training, housing and food assistance.

But the Trump administration has dealt several financial blows to the program this year. At one point, it looked like Head Start may be .

And more recently, the future of Head Start has been thrown into uncertainty by an unprecedented directive from the administration: Programs are to ban undocumented children from Head Start entirely.

Attorneys general in have sued the federal government over this rule, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has agreed to halt enforcement in those states until September 11. As programs wait for additional guidance on whether they will have to implement that change, the mood is one of unease, confusion and fear, according to interviews with nearly two dozen Head Start experts across the country, including providers, state association directors and federal workers.

There鈥檚 a discomfort over just how much the politics of the moment has reached their programs. They don鈥檛 want to say anything that could turn D.C.鈥檚 attention on them.

At the same time, they are trying to continue to serve Head Start families, knowing that soon, some of them could be barred from it. Because the work they do is so deeply connected with the populations the Trump administration is targeting, they are now weighing a moral dilemma: If Head Start changed, could they stay?

鈥淲e would have staff say, 鈥業 don’t want to work in a program that has this eligibility criteria.鈥� And I would understand that,鈥� Bailey said.

Already, her centers are seeing dips in attendance from families in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid as they bring their kids in. About undocumented people live in Wisconsin, according to the Migration Policy Institute; Reach Dane鈥檚 centers serve some 1,000 children.

Bailey told her staff that although the political rhetoric has changed, their core values have not. Reach Dane is not making any changes until more guidance arrives from Washington. But if they were forced to check for immigration status, she鈥檚 not sure she could stay.

鈥淚f it came to the point where it could not take care of staff and kids and families at some sort of basic level, I wouldn’t be able to ethically sit in that space,鈥� said Bailey, who has worked in Head Start for 25 years.

Project 2025, the 900-page document from the conservative Heritage Foundation that has turned into a for President Donald Trump鈥檚 second term, dedicates one paragraph to Head Start. Citing 鈥渞ampant abuse鈥� of children and 鈥渓ack of positive outcomes,鈥� advising: Eliminate Head Start.

While there have been documented cases of , it still has one of the most rigorous safety standards in American child care (the incidents affected fewer than 1 in 1,000 children, according to the Administration for Children and Families, the division that oversees Head Start), and the issues are . Numerous studies have also found positive outcomes both in the and for children enrolled in the program.

In April, a leaked White House budget showed the Trump administration was angling to , claiming it used a 鈥渞adical鈥� curriculum that gave preference to undocumented children and embraced diversity, equity and inclusion. In response, the National Head Start Association sent an to the president signed by 50,000 Head Start parents and alumni.

The letter-writing campaign would grow to number nearly 500,000, and state Head Start associations also mobilized to speak out against the program鈥檚 elimination. Ultimately, it worked. Head Start received flat funding from Congress 鈥� what amounts to a budget cut when accounting for inflation.

Still, the programs have taken economic hits 鈥斅爄n some cases, ones they could barely recover from. Shortly after Trump took office at the end of January, funding to programs was cut off as part of a government-wide freeze. serving nearly 20,000 children across 23 states spent days and weeks waiting for money to come down. The true number is likely much higher, experts said.

April Mullins-Datko, the Head Start director at ADVOCAP, a community action agency in Wisconsin that provides Head Start services, said her funding was delayed for more than a month. They used some reserve funds and took out a line credit to stay open.

鈥淲e were limping. Robbing Peter and paying Paul,鈥� said Mullins-Datko, a 20-year Head Start veteran who was a Head Start child herself in the 1980s. Her twins also went through the program.

A Government Accountability Office report found that the Trump administration violated federal law when it withheld funds from programs that had already been approved by Congress. Between January 20 and April 15, Head Start grantees received $825 million less in funding when compared to the same period in 2024.

Another headwind arrived in April. Five of the 10 regional offices that support Head Start and other child care programs suddenly closed as part of a reduction of the federal workforce. All were . Programs in lost specialists who helped them navigate challenges with funding, who served as the first points of contact if a safety incident occurred. The remaining offices, which were already shortstaffed, took on entire states鈥� caseloads.

Katie Hamm, who oversaw the Head Start program in her role as the deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development for the Biden administration, called it 鈥渁 game of whack-a-mole, where you think you solved a new issue and here comes another one.鈥� Hamm left the role in January 2025.

But what has really rattled Head Start is the change on immigration. Since the on undocumented children was issued in July, programs have been in something of a holding pattern.

Fundamentally, the guidance redefines Head Start and other HHS programs as a 鈥渇ederal public benefit,鈥� or in other words, welfare. Head Start has never been defined as a form of welfare, said Allison Siebeneck, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, one of the groups suing the federal government over the changes to Head Start. Welfare reform in the 1990s specifically excluded K-12 and early childhood from the definition of a 鈥渇ederal public benefit,鈥� she said: 鈥淭hey could have included it, and they didn鈥檛.鈥�

Redefining Head Start means only U.S. citizens or 鈥渜ualified aliens鈥� can access the program, excluding undocumented children but also those who are seeking asylum, those with U visas such as victims of serious crimes, those with temporary protected status and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

When the Trump administration published its rule change, it that undocumented immigrants 鈥渟hould not burden鈥� our benefits system. The change was effective immediately.

The new rules came with no additional information on how programs are to screen families. Programs are still waiting for implementation guidance from the federal Office of Head Start. Thousands of teachers, parents and Head Start alumni, meanwhile, have in the federal registrar responding to the change, many of them condemning it.

The rule change does include an exemption for nonprofits that offer Head Start services, which is about 70 percent of all programs, but the administration noted that all programs, regardless of the exemption, are encouraged to and screen students for immigration status. Siebeneck called it a 鈥渢hinly veiled threat.鈥�

鈥淵ou have one statute that says you’re exempt,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut when you go to sign for your grant you also have to sign a certification saying you’re in compliance with federal law.鈥�

Program directors, who already saw what it was like to suddenly lose funding earlier in the year, are now afraid to lose their grants altogether if they don鈥檛 comply with the requirement. Some may comply before exact guidance is released or regardless of nonprofit status.

In Illinois, Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, executive director of the Illinois Head Start Association, said one Head Start director has decided not to enroll children if they find out the family is undocumented.

鈥淭hey don’t want to do something that gets them in trouble. Our programs follow the rules,鈥� Morrison-Frichtl said. 鈥淭hey are not rule breakers.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 an odd moment that what we鈥檝e always been doing has now turned into the politics of the moment,鈥� reflected Mullins-Datko, the Head Start program director in Wisconsin. 鈥淲e can usually find common ground with our children no matter what our politics are because typically we all want the same things for our children: We want them to thrive, we want them to be healthy, we want them to get a good education 鈥� that鈥檚 why Head Start has enjoyed bipartisan support throughout its history.鈥�

Many Head Start providers would love to return to a time when Head Start wasn鈥檛 political, when their primary concern was how to better serve the families and children in their care with the resources they had. Others feel like the mission of Head Start 鈥� to protect those most in need 鈥� has moved them to speak up at a time when those communities are being targeted.

鈥淗ead Start has been around for 11 administrations and 60 years and have never seen these types of asks of us changing our approach to eligibility and enrollment, despite Congress having a lot of opportunities to do that,鈥� said Tommy Sheridan, the deputy director of the National Head Start Association.

The national group is in touch with members across both sides of the aisle who support Head Start. , Sheridan said, has expressed support for the program, saying in May that he would if programs shut their doors and adding that he 鈥渇ought very hard to make sure Head Start gets all of its funding next year.鈥� Nevertheless, the changes to Head Start have taken place under Kennedy鈥檚 leadership at HHS.

It鈥檚 now a matter of, 鈥淗ow do we move Head Start out of the way of politics?鈥� Sheridan said.

In Indiana, Rhett Cecil, the head of the state鈥檚 Head Start Association, is also trying to keep the conversation nonpartisan.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no agenda in Head Start,鈥� he said.鈥淚 find it remarkably refreshing in a polarized society.鈥�

Cecil is waiting for guidance on implementing the immigration change from the federal Office of Head Start, but said it鈥檚 not something his members have thought through much yet. 鈥淥ur programs will adhere to the standards of Head Start,鈥� he said. About undocumented immigrants live in Indiana, putting it in the middle of the pack among states in terms of population.

鈥淗ere’s what’s changed in Indiana,鈥� Cecil said: 鈥淣othing.鈥�

Megan Woller, the executive director of the Idaho Head Start Association, said providers in her state are worried about scaring families away and bringing too much attention to Head Start.

鈥淚daho is a political climate that is right in line with the Trump administration. My state association colleagues across the country who all live in different political climates are advocating in very vocal ways and are banding together,鈥� Woller said. 鈥淢y members have not wanted to do that. There is a fear of being too vocal and causing a big stink and putting too much focus on Head Start.鈥�

But in other parts of the country, programs have been moved to speak up. Four Head Start state associations and two parent organizations are named plaintiffs in the against the Trump administration. All are blue or purple states 鈥� Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Oregon and California.

In more conservative states, few programs and Head Start Associations were willing to speak to The 19th about this year鈥檚 changes. But for some in red states the immigration directive feels like a step too far.

Julie Stone, who leads the Ohio Head Start Association, said the immigration change represents a fundamental shift for programs.

鈥淲e are about meeting families where they are. We are about doing what鈥檚 right for children,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e never been required to establish their status, but we know their parents are working and we know we have them in a safe and nourishing environment.鈥�

And ICE enforcement is only ramping up. The agency鈥檚 annual budget is set to . That makes her anxious, 鈥渒nowing there will be more enforcement and we are somehow 鈥� getting wrapped up in this,鈥� Stone said.

Multiple programs and state Head Start agencies told The 19th that the political rhetoric around immigration is distorting the reality of who the families who rely on Head Start are, what they contribute to their communities and why the program is needed.

鈥淲hat I know to be true about Head Start: The majority of [the families] go to work,鈥� said Jennie Mauer, the head of the Wisconsin Head Start Association. Many of those undocumented families in her state work in the dairy industry, which relies on migrant workers to operate. Those workers, an estimated of the dairy workforce, need somewhere to put their children.

Otherwise, how will the Dairy State continue to be the Dairy State?

鈥淲e can have all that [political] rhetoric, but I want safe communities and I want safe children,鈥� Mauer said. 鈥淚 do not believe that coming to Head Start and putting these questions to families who are just trying to go to work is the way to do it.鈥�

In Detroit, this year of upheaval has already led to the closure of a Head Start program, leaving 324 children without child care.

The center, called Focus: HOPE, had been receiving Head Start funding as part of a consortium of three programs. Last year, the consortium disbanded and each program applied individually. CEO Portia Roberson said her program tried to put together a grant application that aligned with the priorities of the new administration, noting that it served 鈥渁ll鈥� children.

They were supposed to hear back about their grant in March, but nothing came. Michigan was one of the states that lost its regional office in April, meaning the staff that ensured grants were evenly spaced so communities didn鈥檛 lose Head Start services were gone.

By July 31, still not having heard anything, the money ran dry. Focus: HOPE laid off nearly 100 staff members and of their Head Start services. Roberson expected parents to be angry with her. But instead, she said, 鈥渢hey were here to figure out how they could support what we are doing and to let people know how important we are for their families.鈥�

In mid-August, the program learned its grant application had been denied. No explanation was given at first 鈥� they later learned that one of the providers in the consortium, Starfish Family Services, had received the funding Focus: HOPE expected to go to them.

鈥淭he current administration talks about wanting to build a workforce. My question is how do parents become a part of this workforce if there is no safe and educational place to put their children?鈥� she said. Now, 鈥淚’m taking people out of the workforce.鈥�

Roberson is hoping Starfish will take them back in as a subgrantee, which will allow her to service the families in their care. If that happens, she will then have to consider what those services would look like with the new immigration changes.

鈥淲hat gets lost in all of this is we are just trying to help people who need help. We are not making decisions around race or class or political party,鈥� she said. 鈥�

She doesn鈥檛 know how she could enforce the immigration directive. If it came down to protecting children from being removed, Roberson said, Focus: HOPE would do 鈥渨hatever needs to be done.鈥�

When Dayanara Rivera drops off her 4-year-old daughter Keilanys at the center each morning, she doesn鈥檛 have to worry about traffic or rush back across town to make her classes. Instead, she walks a few hundred yards across the (STCC) campus, knowing that if she needs to check on her daughter, pick up materials from the library or meet with a professor during office hours, everything is within reach.

鈥淚 was ecstatic when I found out that they were literally right on campus,鈥� said Rivera, a medical assistant working toward her nursing degree. It provided convenience, she said. 鈥淚t just made it easier. 鈥� It made me come to school.鈥�

undergraduate college students in the U.S. are raising children while enrolled, and about half of these student parents attend community and technical colleges, according to the Institute for Women鈥檚 Policy Research.

A lack of access to affordable child care, college costs, and challenges related to balancing work, school and raising a family, contribute to the fact that students with children are to leave college before graduating than students who aren鈥檛 parents.

The Head Start center at STCC addresses this need. The center educates 25 babies and toddlers while their parents attend school, and while it’s open to all families in the community, leaders expect that it will primarily serve children of STCC students over time as more of them learn about it. The program is part of a five-year project launched in 2024 by the and the . By increasing the number of Head Start child care programs on community college campuses, the project intends to remove child care barriers that too often derail student parents from achieving their educational goals. 

The project represents a strategic convergence of two urgent needs: expanding access to quality early childhood education for low-income families and supporting student parents whose educational aspirations are often .

The approach helps colleges gain capacity to support child care, which is a basic need for many students 鈥� and that boosts enrollment, persistence and completion. It offers families access to affordable high-quality, early learning opportunities for their children, and it gives future teachers at the colleges opportunities to get authentic classroom experience. 

Kids on Campus aims to establish at least 50 Head Start programs on community college campuses by 2030. The initiative鈥檚 shows concrete progress: Three programs are fully launched, with two more opening this fall. Furthermore, 87 community colleges and 98 Head Start programs have engaged with Kids on Campus, leading to 18 potential matches between interested partners. The initiative has also launched Kids on Campus 鈥擳exas as its first state-focused effort.

While the impact report acknowledges that 鈥渂ig initiatives take time to grow and blossom,鈥� results from the first year suggest the model is gaining traction. Perhaps nowhere is the promise more evident than in Springfield, Massachusetts, where HCS Head Start and STCC are providing student parents with exactly the kind of integrated support system the national initiative envisions.

Making It Work in Western Massachusetts

HCS Head Start faced acute staffing shortages in the post-COVID landscape. Nicole Blais, CEO of HCS Head Start, which  operates 11 sites across the greater Springfield area and serves about 650 children from birth to age 5, was searching for solutions when she connected with STCC president John Cook.

The partnership that emerged goes far beyond colocation. Students in STCC鈥檚 early childhood education program can complete observations and student teaching requirements on-site. Students in the college鈥檚 health services program practice screenings and clinical skills with Head Start children. The model creates what Blais calls a comprehensive approach to 鈥渞ebuilding the early child care workforce鈥� while providing essential services to families and the broader campus community.

For HCS Head Start teacher Heidi Fogg, the campus location transforms what student parents can realistically accomplish. She sees how the opportunity plays out in daily schedules: 鈥淪ome of our moms who are students at STCC aren鈥檛 full-time students,鈥� she said, explaining that some take evening classes because they鈥檙e raising a family and working. But for those who take classes during the day, she said, 鈥渢hey are able to bring the kids to our center, and then they can go, whether it鈥檚 to the library, to make copies, to speak with their professor or for office hours.鈥�

鈥淭hey just have that luxury of not having to drive across town, bring the child to day care to come back,鈥� Fogg added.

The convenience of on-site child care can help student parents persist and . The benefits of these programs also extend to the babies and toddlers who attend them. At home, Rivera watches her daughter enthusiastically share what she鈥檚 learning. 鈥淪he likes to be the teacher. She likes to teach everybody at home what she learns,鈥� Rivera said. 鈥淪he says, 鈥極kay dad, we鈥檙e going to learn about the spine of the book.鈥� So she literally pulled out one of her favorite books and started telling [her] dad, 鈥楾his is the front, this is the spine. Repeat after me.鈥欌��

While it鈥檚 too early for comprehensive outcome data, the Springfield experience suggests the Kids on Campus model addresses several persistent challenges in higher education and early childhood development. By colocating services, the partnership reduces barriers for student parents while creating practical learning opportunities for future educators and health professionals.

For Rivera, the impact is clear: quality child care on campus means she can focus on her nursing program goals rather than logistics. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have to call the school if I have questions [and] wait for somebody to call me back. I can do it all in one go.”

As the Kids on Campus initiative works toward its goal of opening 50 campus-based Head Start programs, the Springfield model offers a template for how strategic partnerships can transform isolated challenges into integrated solutions. The promise lies not just in convenience, but in creating the conditions where student parents can succeed academically while their children receive quality early education.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Dayanara Rivera’s first name.

In an early-morning post Thursday, Trump said he told the U.S. Department of Commerce to begin work on a new census “based on modern day facts and figures” adding, “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.鈥�

The U.S. Census count is held once a decade and helps determine federal education funding.聽Bruce Baker, a professor at the University of Miami and a leading scholar on public school financing, said that if fewer people are counted, federal funding for schools, which is based on and child poverty rates, would shrink.聽

鈥淭he states that depend more on federal aid have the most to lose,鈥� he said. And while the percentage of such aid is relatively small, he said, 鈥渢hese days, every dollar matters.鈥�  

Pew Research reports the federal government provided of total funding for public elementary and secondary schools in fiscal 2022, according to . The National Education Association said the money helps lower class size, support students with disabilities and feed hungry children. It breaks . 

Other studies confirm federal education funding across the U.S. Mississippi reported the greatest percentage of federal education aid in 2022, coming in at 23.3% followed by South Dakota at 21.7%, Montana at 20.9%, Alaska at 20.6% and Arkansas at 20.4%. 

Federal money is delivered to schools in many forms. In fiscal year 2024, Pew notes, the Education Department doled out $18.8 billion for schools with large numbers of poor, neglected, delinquent and other 鈥渆ducationally disadvantaged鈥� students, $15.5 billion for special education programs for children with disabilities, $5.5 billion for school improvement, and $2.2 billion for career, technical and adult education among many other grants. The federal government also spent billions on COVID recovery. 

Trump鈥檚 call to revise the census comes amid massive cutbacks at the education department, changing how critical programs are implemented 鈥� and toward the end of a nail-biting summer with many in education gripped by fear after the administration temporarily withheld $7 billion in funding. 

It also comes just weeks after he announced undocumented children could no longer participate in Head Start. In addition, adults without papers were banned from career and technical education programs and adult education, though both groups now have a brief reprieve. 

The nation is home to some . California had such residents in 2022, followed by Texas, with more than 2 million and Florida which had 590,000, according to data released last year.

This isn鈥檛 the first time Trump has tried to tinker with the U.S. Census: In his first term, he proposed the addition of a , one critics say would have resulted in a dramatic undercount and produced a massive loss of funding in immigrant-heavy communities where even those in the country legally would be fearful of responding. The matter made its way to the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice casting the deciding vote against the addition. 

Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, said Trump could try to obtain residents鈥� immigration status in two ways: add questions about citizenship to the census itself, as he earlier proposed, or try to pull information from other federal data.  

In either case, she said, undocumented immigrants and those who live, work and study alongside them, would lose out. 

鈥淚f there are more people in a community, there is more need for infrastructure,鈥� she said. 鈥淯.S. citizens would be hurt if that funding was insufficient.鈥�

However, Trump鈥檚 census plan would be and it鈥檚 unclear when it would be implemented: Population counts take several years to plan. Also , not the president, determines the manner of conducting the tally. 

Trump鈥檚 intention to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census, coupled with his earlier attack on birthright citizenship, is enough to roil those concerned about the dignity of all U.S. residents.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 count all people, you won’t be able to provide equal protection to all people,鈥� said Alejandra V谩zquez Baur, a fellow with The Century Foundation. 鈥淪o this plan to not count undocumented people is a clear abandonment of that constitutional promise of equal protection.鈥�

And with each new edict targeting the undocumented, she said, she fears the nation will inch closer to a direct attack on Plyler v. Doe, the landmark 1982 Supreme Court ruling that a child cannot be denied a public education based on immigration status. 

Hayward Derrick Horton, a professor of sociology at the University of Albany, said the census impacts all areas of civic life, calling it the engine that makes society work. He noted, too, that the U.S. Census is the gold standard for data collection and is respected globally. 

鈥淪o, what鈥檚 being threatened is not only the integrity of what this society is about in terms of being able to know exactly how many people we have and the allocations of the right resources to the right places, but it also invalidates this society to the world,鈥� he said.  

Horton said he believes the fear of losing a numerical majority 鈥� and the power and money that comes with it 鈥� is driving these efforts to erase an entire group 鈥� in this case, 鈥� from the census.

White people comprised in 1980. Recent reports put the current figure at White residents will no longer be the majority by 2045, reported.  

鈥淗ere in the U.S., the white population controls the wealth, status and power 鈥� and they also control the numbers,鈥� he said. 

On Friday, undocumented immigrants, banned from Head Start and career and technical education programs and adult education earlier this month,聽were granted聽a reprieve through Sept. 3 in the 20 states 鈥� and the District of Columbia 鈥� where attorneys general fought the Trump administration鈥檚 recent directive to kick them out, according to聽. The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Labor all agreed to the delay.

From cradle to career, President Donald Trump has launched a comprehensive campaign to close off education to undocumented immigrants, undercutting, advocates say, the very reason many came to the United States: for a chance at a better life. 

Preschoolers without legal status are now banned from Head Start and older students and adults without papers are blocked from career, technical and adult education. Some states are rescinding in-state college tuition for those here illegally and K-12 schools are being targeted by the president’s sweeping immigration enforcement crackdown

The affecting Head Start enrollment was released July 10. The federally funded early education program was created in 1965 to help underprivileged children succeed in school.

On the same day, the U.S. Department of Education shut the door on older undocumented students and adults hoping to gain job skills, earn dual enrollment credits or learn to read. Education Secretary Linda McMahon : 鈥淯nder President Trump’s leadership, hardworking American taxpayers will no longer foot the bill for illegal aliens to participate in our career, technical, or adult education programs or activities.”

The nation’s K-12 public schools, filling the vast middle between early education and college and careers, have been leveraged in the administration’s aggressive, deportation effort with federal agents arresting and detaining students and . 

These and other enforcement tactics have terrified newcomer families to the point that some students are , prompting educators to suggest a solution that was once unthinkable: a return to remote learning.

鈥淚 know districts are contending with, you know, 鈥楧o we move to the hybrid approach that we learned how to do back in the pandemic in the fall so that students are not subject to ICE raids by just walking in the classroom door?鈥� Amy Loyd, head of CTE and adult education under former education secretary Miguel Cardona, told 社区黑料.

has already started offering this option, a nod to the numerous barriers undocumented young people already face in pursuing higher education. Cost is among the most pressing; these students . 

The financial hurdle was alleviated when at least two dozen states, often with bipartisan support, extended in-state college tuition to local high school graduates who lack legal status. These policies, some in place for decades, are now under attack by the Trump administration. 

The president in the spring saying the policies needed to stop because they offered more affordable in-state tuition rates “to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens.” In June, the justice department sued to end the practice, setting students adrift. Within hours, the voluntarily agreed to abolish its program, the oldest in the country. 

was first to act, moving to eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented students in February. 

Augustus Mays, the vice president of EdTrust, an equity-focused advocacy group, called out the bigger picture in reacting to the CTE and adult education restrictions earlier this month. 

鈥淟et鈥檚 be clear: this move is part of a broader, deeply disturbing trend,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淭his is not about protecting taxpayers. It鈥檚 about punishing students. This administration is choosing to weaponize policy against hope itself.鈥�

On July 23, the Education Department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights , including the University of Miami and the University of Michigan, for offering scholarships to undocumented students protected by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gives them the right to live and work in this country. The inquiries will examine whether granting scholarships to DACA recipients discriminates against American-born college-goers.

鈥淎s we mark President Trump鈥檚 historic six months back in the White House, we are expanding our enforcement efforts to protect American students and lawful residents from invidious national origin discrimination of the kind alleged here,鈥� Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement.

The youngest 鈥� and the oldest 鈥� learners 

Sarah Orth is chief executive officer at the Blind Children’s Center, which was founded in Los Angeles in 1938. Its programs now include Head Start, which serves 85 early learners from birth to 5 years old.

鈥淭his move against Head Start is so egregious because infants and toddlers are the most vulnerable,鈥� she said, adding she鈥檚 unsure how her program will identify and remove undocumented students. “Are the children who are already enrolled going to be grandfathered in or am I kicking the kids out next week? I have no idea. I have people on my staff who are crying because they are going to have to deliver this news.”

Orth said some families could never find the breadth of services their kids need in their home countries. She recalled one 4-year-old girl brought into the program by her parents, who were young and Spanish-speaking. Their daughter was visually impaired, had sensory issues and had not been exposed much to the outside world. 

鈥淲hen they first enrolled her, dad would carry her from the car to the classroom and would never put her down,鈥� Orth said. 鈥淚f you tried to do that, she would lift her feet up because she didn鈥檛 know what was happening.鈥�

Within six to eight months of enrolling in Head Start, the child was walking on her own 鈥� both indoors and outside 鈥� and playing with friends. As she grew in confidence, she was no longer 鈥渃linging to dad with the fear she had when she first came to us.鈥�

Her parents also learned how important it was for her to have social-emotional connections, Orth said. 

An estimated 115,000 Head Start children and families could be impacted by the move to bar the undocumented. Together, they comprise roughly 16% of the program鈥檚 total 2024-25 enrollment, according to by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which runs the program. The federal government of Head Start鈥檚 cost, devoting to the program in 2023.

鈥淔or 60 years, this program has never required that kind of [citizenship status] validation or verification,鈥� said Luis Bautista, executive director of the Los Angeles County Office of Education Head Start and Early Learning Division, which serves some 7,000 children and families. 鈥淭his is just adding to the fear and confusion families are experiencing amidst all of the other actions out there 鈥� including immigration.鈥�

He called Trump鈥檚 move 鈥渆xtremely unfortunate,鈥� adding that he doesn’t agree with the president鈥檚 characterization of kids born on foreign soil. 

鈥淚 don’t consider a child 鈥� especially a 3-year-old 鈥� to be illegal in any way,鈥� Bautista said, adding money devoted to young minds is well spent. 鈥淣inety percent of brain development happens before age 5. That is where the investment should be.鈥�

It鈥檚 unclear how many older students will be affected by Trump鈥檚 citizenship restrictions. participated in CTE in the 2020-21 school year, the most recent year for which federal data is available, according to the Association for Career & Technical Education. 

Congress each year sends some for competitive grants to support CTE efforts across the country. These programs, through their funding, are required to support nine “special populations,” including single parents, those with disabilities and English learners. 

Loyd, who is now CEO of the advocacy organization , said she鈥檚 concerned about Trump鈥檚 focus on higher education, including CTE programs, which she said help students from all walks of life.

鈥淏asically, we are relegating high school students to entry-level, dead-end jobs,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just mean-spirited and certainly consistent with the administration鈥檚 commitment to undermine the vital presence of immigrants in our nation. It鈥檚 so dehumanizing.鈥�

The $715 million the federal government spends on adult education , adults and out-of-school teens 16 and older. The funding, among the $7 billion temporarily frozen by Trump this summer, covers a range of programs, including high school diploma equivalency, adult literacy and vocational job training for people with disabilities. 

The programs are run by . Many . 

An adult education teacher in Indiana told 社区黑料 that the 300-plus immigrants in her program 鈥� many from Haiti, Guinea and Senegal 鈥� enroll to learn English and earn a high school diploma equivalency. Some of the younger students, she said, use the program to prepare for college while the older participants hope it will help them land better-paying jobs. 

The teacher, who asked not to be identified because she feared losing funding for her program, described her students as 鈥渢he most respectful, grateful people I have ever met in my life.鈥� 

She said they respond with copious appreciation even for a gift as small as a pencil.

鈥淚’ll say, 鈥楯ust take it,鈥� and they will use it until it’s down to the nub,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey are just so eager to learn.鈥�

Will Plyler be next?

The administration is changing the narrative around programs like Head Start and CTE, moving them away from their educational roots and the view that they were beneficial to the economy and casting them instead as federal public benefits. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for such programs, including food assistance and non-emergency Medicaid.

Wil Del Pilar, senior vice president at EdTrust, asserted that this is part of a wider strategy by the president to scapegoat some of the country鈥檚 most vulnerable people.

鈥淭his is not a new trope,鈥� he said, adding that German, Irish and other immigrant groups were similarly castigated upon their arrival to America, fueled by the notion that newcomers 鈥渁re taking something that belongs to you, that they are getting a benefit you don鈥檛 receive.鈥�

And while many of Trump鈥檚 initiatives are facing legal challenges 鈥� 21 Democratic attorneys general earlier this month over the and directives 鈥� the president has prevailed in his efforts on immigration. 

With each new announcement, immigrant advocates worry Trump could be inching closer to dismantling or undermining Plyler v. Doe, the landmark 1982 Supreme Court ruling that a child cannot be denied a public education based on immigration status. Some immigrant advocates fear his administration might try to argue that a free, public education is also a public benefit program 鈥� and so off-limits to undocumented K-12 students.

The U.S. is home to roughly undocumented residents. In 2021, the American Community Survey ages 5 to 17 who had been in the United States for three years or less, and another 1.5 million immigrant children living here four years or more, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and architect of the president’s immigration crackdown, searched for ways to undercut Plyler. In June, one of the authors of the conservative playbook, who has proposed challenging or overturning the ruling, became the Education Department’s newest . Both Texas and have recently tried to weaken K-12 protections for undocumented students.

Pamela Broussard, a Texas-based educator and advocate for English learners, said overturning Plyler “would betray the very principles upon which public education was founded.”

She maintained that education is a right 鈥� not a privilege 鈥� and that all students deserve to be supported in their learning.

“When any group of children is denied access to education, we create an underclass more likely to face poverty, unemployment and social marginalization,” she told 社区黑料. “At its core, Plyler v. Doe affirmed that the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment applies to all people, not just citizens.”

The Health and Human Services Department illegally withheld payments from Head Start for the first months of President Donald Trump鈥檚 term, a government watchdog reported Wednesday.

HHS payments for Head Start this year were significantly behind schedule compared with 2024. That violated the Impoundment Control Act, a law governing the president鈥檚 duty to spend congressionally appropriated funds, according to聽a report聽from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office.

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The law, sometimes called the ICA, allows the president to withhold appropriated funds in some circumstances. But the publicly available data did not show those conditions were met and HHS did not mount any defense prior to the report鈥檚 publication, according to the GAO.

鈥淏ecause that evidence indicates that HHS withheld appropriated funds from expenditure, and because the burden to justify such withholdings rests with HHS and the executive branch, we conclude that HHS violated the ICA by withholding funds,鈥� the report said.

Before the report鈥檚 publication, HHS did not provide the GAO with information requested by the watchdog or a legal analysis, according to the report, which was signed by GAO General Counsel Edda Emmanuelli Perez.

However, an HHS spokesperson told States Newsroom in a Wednesday email that it would respond to the GAO and disputed the report鈥檚 conclusion.

鈥淗HS did not impound Head Start funds and disputes the conclusion of the GAO report,鈥� the spokesperson wrote. 鈥淕AO should anticipate a forthcoming response from HHS to incorporate into an updated report.鈥�

How聽Head Start works

Head Start is a federal grant program to fund pre-kindergarten services for low-income families. The federal government provides up to 80% of a local program鈥檚 eligible costs, the report said. As of last year, 1,600 organizations received Head Start funding for education, nutritional, health and social services.

Organizations receiving Head Start funding generally win grant approvals for five years at a time. Programs in good standing are automatically renewed, according to the report.

Mere days after Trump took office in January, dozens of Head Start grant recipients found they were unable to access funds they鈥檇 expected from HHS, according to a Jan. 28 statement from the National Head Start Association, a coalition of grantees.

GAO鈥檚 analysis showed the department disbursed about one-third less grant funding in the first three months of the Trump administration than it had over the same period in 2024. The difference amounted to $825 million less for Head Start grants over those months.

The law does allow for HHS to stop funding for grantees before the end of the five-year period under certain circumstances, such as for failing to meet performance standards or becoming under-enrolled.

In those cases, though, HHS must warn the programs of potential cuts in grants, provide a detailed plan the organization can implement to avoid grant cancellation and give the grantee a fair hearing as well as the ability to apply for refunding 鈥� all before funding can be cut off, according to the GAO report.

There is no indication HHS took any of those steps before abruptly cutting funds in January, according to the report.

鈥楾he president is not a king鈥�

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, blasted President Donald Trump and his HHS in a lengthy statement that asserted Congress鈥� power over spending decisions and admonished the administration for harming an important program for working families.

鈥淭rump has signaled he would like to eliminate Head Start鈥攂ut that鈥檚 not his choice to make,鈥� Murray said. 鈥淐ongress delivered this funding for Head Start on a bipartisan basis, and instead of trying to destroy preschool programs and breaking our laws to hurt working families, President Trump needs to ensure every penny of these funds get out in a timely, consistent way moving forward鈥攁nd he must also finally get out the rest of the investments he has been robbing the American people of.鈥�

Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, highlighted Congress鈥� role in directing federal funding, calling on Trump and White House Budget Director Russell Vought to comply with appropriations laws.

鈥淭he President is not a king, and laws are not suggestions,鈥� Merkley said in a statement. 鈥淥nce again, we鈥檙e seeing proof that this administration is in clear violation of the law under the Impoundment Control Act. The funds appropriated by Congress are not merely suggestions for Donald Trump and Russ Vought to ignore 鈥� these are funds that hardworking families rely on, and Head Start is essential to making sure the doors of opportunity are open to every child in our country.鈥�

ACLU lawsuit

The GAO report did not list any further action the agency would take but did note that litigation over the withheld funding is ongoing.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit in April in federal court in Seattle that included parents and Head Start grant recipients.

The suit described widespread confusion that Head Start organizations experienced when they could not access expected federal funding, compounded by cuts to support staff in regional offices.

No cooperation

The report detailed the lack of participation by HHS in the GAO鈥檚 investigation and tied it to a separate legal fight involving a public website.

鈥淗HS has not provided the information we requested regarding factual information and its legal views concerning the potential impoundment of appropriated funds,鈥� the report said.

Without information from the administration, the watchdog based its findings on publicly available data.

The White House Office of Management and Budget added an obstacle to that task, the watchdog said.

The office 鈥渞emoved agency apportionment data from its public websites, which is both contrary to OMB鈥檚 duty to make such information publicly available and to GAO鈥檚 statutory authority to access such information,鈥� the GAO report said.

On that question, a federal judge on Monday聽ordered the Trump administration聽to once again publish details about the pace at which it plans to spend money approved by Congress.

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Emmet Sullivan wrote in his ruling that Congress 鈥渉as sweeping authority鈥� to require the president to post a website detailing how it doles out taxpayer dollars throughout the year.

The new rule was and published in the Monday by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, which oversees Head Start. Some immigrants, including refugees and those with a green card, would remain eligible to access Head Start services, but scores of others, including undocumented residents, DACA recipients and those with Temporary Protected Status or student visas, would not. Those on so-called U visas, typically survivors of domestic violence, drug trafficking or other serious crimes, would also no longer be eligible.

An estimated 115,000 Head Start children and families could be impacted, about 16% of the program鈥檚 total 2024 enrollment, according to an

鈥淚t’s incredibly inhumane what they’re doing,鈥� said Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington State Association of Head Start, 鈥渁nd it’s much more far reaching than undocumented people 鈥� not just because there are other populations [included], but it has a real chilling effect 鈥�  it’ll scare a lot of people that might have mixed status, or they may be perfectly legal, but they’re afraid.鈥�

It鈥檚 not yet clear how the new restrictions would be implemented or tracked, and some lawyers and local Head Start leaders are encouraging providers to hold off on any changes until there is more clarity around their legal obligations. This is a particularly tricky moment to introduce such a radical change, experts noted, as many providers are currently recruiting students for the fall.

The new rule was enacted by rescinding a 1998 Clinton administration interpretation of the . That interpretation extended some federal public benefits to undocumented immigrants, which the Trump administration now claims 鈥渦ndercut鈥� the original law, was 鈥渋mproper鈥�  and 鈥渋ncentivize[d] illegal immigration.鈥� The administration has embarked on an aggressive campaign to deport millions of undocumented residents, including by targeting students and attempting to end birthright citizenship.

The updated policy redefines Head Start as a 鈥渇ederal public benefit,鈥� and in doing so, restricts access to early childhood education based on immigration status.

鈥淭his new rule is not only unprecedented in the program’s history, but it’s also completely at odds with the mandate for Head Start to provide early education to low-income children and their families,鈥� said Linda Morris, an ACLU senior staff attorney and co-counsel on the lawsuit.

The administration鈥檚 stated goal is to, 鈥渞estore compliance with federal law and ensure that taxpayer-funded program benefits intended for the American people are not diverted to subsidize illegal aliens,鈥� according to an HHS Head Start is explicitly named as one of the impacted programs 鈥渢o ensure enrollment 鈥� is reserved for American citizens from now on.鈥�

At least 12 other federally funded programs are included in the new rule, such as the and the , which provides funds for people with serious mental illness experiencing homelessness.

The department鈥檚 announcement comes after months of layoffs, funding freezes and uncertainty for Head Start, which has reached more than and their families, the majority of them low income, since its inception in the 1960s. the $12 billion program served over 778,000 children from birth to age 5 and pregnant mothers and their families in urban, suburban and rural areas in all 50 states and six territories.

Along with providing early education and resources to kids, Head Start also connects families to community and federal assistance and can help provide a career pathway for parents. The 1,600 local agencies are funded by the federal government, though many also tap into state and local revenue sources.

The program has long been a target of the right, and the conservative playbook has called for its full elimination, arguing Head Start has 鈥渓ittle or no long-term academic value for children.鈥�

HHS estimates the new rule could lead to an increase of $374 million in services for American citizens, but that does not account for the cost to families losing services or to the broader economy as working parents lose access to child care, said the ACLU鈥檚 Morris.

鈥淚t’s important to remember that this new rule is not just an attack on immigrant communities. It’s also an attack on working families,鈥� she added. 鈥淭he social and economic impacts of this new rule will be felt beyond these families 鈥� it will be felt across communities, and really across the nation.鈥�

In May, a coalition of parents and Head Start providers, represented by the ACLU Women鈥檚 Rights Project, the ACLU of Washington, ACLU of Illinois, the Impact Fund and others, filed in Washington state against the Trump administration. The plaintiffs alleged the federal government was seeking to illegally dismantle the Head Start program by shuttering half of the organization鈥檚 regional offices; laying off scores of staff; and implementing 鈥渟weeping and impermissibly vague bans on activities that promote or advance 鈥榙iversity,鈥� 鈥榚quity,鈥� 鈥榠nclusion,鈥� and/or 鈥榓ccessibility.鈥欌��

In this updated application, they also argue that expanding the definition of 鈥渇ederal public benefit鈥� to include Head Start is an illegal attempt to rewrite statutory law, which violates the as well as the U.S. Constitution. They are asking the court to prevent the administration from enforcing or implementing this new directive.

鈥淣o agency, including HHS, has ever defined early education as a federal public benefit,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淭his new rule from the administration is completely at odds with how the agency has interpreted Head Start programs [historically], and the administration hasn’t followed any of the processes that it needed to follow in order to implement a change of this kind.鈥�

The rule will also lead to 鈥渨aves of kids that are unprepared for school鈥� entering the public school system, according to Ryan. HHS鈥檚 updated interpretation does not impact undocumented K-12 students鈥� access to a free, public education, which is Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, although that ruling has also become .

鈥淭hese claims all stand together,鈥� Ryan said, referring to the original lawsuit and this latest legal pushback.  鈥淚 really see it as a cumulative effort to destroy the Head Start program and to make lives harder for very low-income kids and families in the country.鈥�

Undocumented children will no longer qualify for federally funded preschool through the Head Start program under a major policy shift the Trump administration announced Thursday.

In a news release, the Department of Health and Human Services said it was issued under President Bill Clinton that allowed undocumented immigrants to access certain programs because they were not considered 鈥渇ederal public benefits.鈥�

As President Donald Trump pursues his anti-immigrant agenda, this change may be the most direct and far-reaching effort to target children after his . His administration has also and , , and .

Administration officials have said they . Health and Human Services leaders cast the change as a way to protect benefits for Americans.

鈥淔or too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans鈥� tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,鈥� Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a press release. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 action changes that 鈥� it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.鈥�

Early childhood education advocates, meanwhile, condemned the change as violating both the spirit and the letter of the 1965 law that authorized Head Start. They also warned the change could scare away eligible families.

鈥淭his decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children,鈥� Yasmina Vinci, the executive director of the National Head Start Association, a nonprofit that represents Head Start staff and families, said . 鈥淗ead Start programs strive to make every child feel welcome, safe, and supported, and reject the characterization of any child as 鈥榠llegal.鈥欌��

The change is also at odds with how the Supreme Court has treated K-12 education. In the from 1982, the justices ruled that children have a right to a free public education regardless of immigration status. However, the courts have upheld laws restricting immigrants鈥� access to welfare benefits.

Head Start provided preschool to over 544,000 children from low-income families, from the 2022-23 school year, while Early Head Start served more than 186,000 infants, toddlers, and expectant parents.

The program, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, , from federal staff layoffs to threats of eliminating the program.

Head Start will now be considered a public benefit, the Trump administration said, because it offers services that are similar to welfare. Officials said the change aligns with Trump鈥檚 executive orders, including a

鈥淲hile Head Start provides for school readiness, it also provides low-income children and their families with 鈥榟ealth, educational, nutritional, and social and other services, that are determined based on family needs assessment,鈥欌�� . 鈥淔urther, it may serve as child care for parents of young children.鈥�

Classifying Head Start as welfare, rather than education, could be a Trump administration strategy to avoid having to address whether the protections extended to undocumented children in Plyler apply here, said Nate Ela, an assistant professor of law at Temple University, in an email.

Reflecting Trump鈥檚 America First agenda, Health and Human Services officials said in their press release that Head Start will be 鈥渞eserved for American citizens from now on.鈥�

But a spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families clarified that U.S. citizens and 鈥渜ualified鈥� immigrants would be eligible for Head Start. , that includes legal permanent residents, children who鈥檝e been granted asylum, refugees, and children with humanitarian parole.

In its statement, the National Head Start Association said providers were alarmed that programs would have to check the citizenship or immigration status of children before they could enroll. The law that governs Head Start has never required documentation of immigration status as a condition to enroll, the organization said, and 鈥渁ttempts to impose such a requirement threaten to create fear and confusion among all families.鈥�

It is unclear exactly how the new rules will be enforced. Guidance based on the new legal interpretation is forthcoming, the Administration for Children and Families spokesperson said.

鈥溾�嬧�婣re they going to monitor us when they come out for their federal review?鈥� asked Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, the executive director of the Illinois Head Start Association. 鈥淲ill there be something attached to our grant that we have to certify?鈥�

The latest version of the law governing who is eligible for Head Start says nothing about immigration status, but it does say that the program can use federal funds to train staff, counsel children, and provide other services that are 鈥渘ecessary to address the challenges of children from immigrant, refugee, and asylee families, homeless children, children in foster care, limited English proficient children, children of migrant or seasonal farmworker families, [and] children from families in crisis.鈥�

The law says that children who are experiencing homelessness or whose families have incomes below the federal poverty line qualify. The Migrant Seasonal Head Start program also guarantees child care for the children of farm workers and seasonal workers.

This is not the first attempt to roll back educational rights for immigrant children and families. for immigrant children or track their immigration status in ways that could intimidate families. So far, none has been successful. Meanwhile, the author of a brief from the conservative Heritage Foundation that now .

Restricting Head Start access could have ripple effects

Federal officials estimated that the Head Start change would free up $374 million a year for U.S. citizens and qualified immigrants to access Head Start, which represents about 3% of the program鈥檚 annual budget in recent years.

But keeping children out of Head Start could lead to more costs down the road for public schools, advocates warned. Kindergartners who don鈥檛 go to preschool may need more help with basics like learning their ABCs, colors, and how to work with classmates. They also may have missed out on health screenings.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really shortchanging our community by cutting them off from strong early childhood programs that are going to put them on the right path to be successful in K-12 schools where they have a guaranteed right to attend,鈥� said Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, co-founder of the National Newcomer Network and deputy director of Californians Together, groups that advocate for immigrant rights in education.

There are typically many more children in poverty who qualify for Head Start than the program has funding to serve. , for example, that for every 100 young children in poverty, there were typically 28 Head Start seats, with much larger gaps in some states.

Keeping out immigrant children wouldn鈥檛 necessarily close those gaps. The main factor limiting Head Start seats is a lack of trained teachers, said Diane Schilder, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, a public policy think tank.

鈥淎 lot of programs are having challenges hiring teachers in preschool and infant-toddler classrooms who meet the requirements because the wages are not adequate,鈥� Schilder said.

Low-income families are less likely to have documents proving their children are citizens, Schilder said, and can scare away even eligible families from applying. Parents are less likely to work when they don鈥檛 have access to child care. The effects of these changes would be felt most strongly in urban areas and in communities with a large agricultural workforce.

Head Start providers worry that verifying children鈥檚 immigration status will create more administrative work and could make it harder for all families to enroll. Federal officials estimated the cost of assembling documents and reviewing paperwork would be an additional $21 million a year.

And there would be more transition costs to change Head Start protocols, the federal notice stated.

Federal officials said the change would take effect as soon as it is published in the Federal Register. It has not been published, but has been submitted, the Trump administration said. The public will have 30 days to submit comments.

For now, Heather Frenz, the executive director of the Colorado Head Start Association, said her organization is telling Head Start providers to wait for further instructions before un-enrolling any children.

Reconsidering the eligibility or enrollment of children who are already attending Head Start would be expensive and time-consuming, Frenz said. The process involves everything from measuring children鈥檚 height and weight to drawing up individual plans.

And if undocumented children miss out on preschool and other services Head Start provides, Frenz said it could 鈥減ut a lot of strain鈥� on other public entities when those children get older.

鈥淭hey may not speak English or have never seen a dentist,鈥� Frenz said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to be a heavy load on the public school education system.鈥�

Chalkbeat New York reporter Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat Philadelphia bureau chief Carly Sitrin, Chalkbeat Chicago bureau chief Becky Vevea, and Colorado bureau chief Melanie Asmar contributed reporting.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Since , has helped more than 38 million children build a foundation for learning, health and stability. It pioneered a now widely lauded 鈥渢wo-generation鈥� approach that fosters learning and development for young children by supporting their parents. Yet despite its innovative design and proven track record, Head Start has faced many attacks over the years due to political and economic turmoil: it was singled out for elimination in Project 2025 鈥� and for a few weeks in April, Head Start .

Amid uncertainty about Head Start鈥檚 future, the question to ask is whether the government will do what鈥檚 needed to help the program 鈥� and our youngest generation 鈥� thrive.

The immediate threat seems to have passed, but deep challenges to the program remain: chronic underfunding, political headwinds and a national conversation that too often excludes the early educators doing the work. These challenges have been even more acute since COVID-19. With the expiration of supplemental pandemic-era funding, many programs to retain staff, maintain enrollment, or even keep their doors open. In some communities, waitlists for Head Start programs stretched for months. Some programs were forced to cut back services and reduce classroom capacity because of persistent staffing shortages. In 2023, of Head Start classrooms were closed, many due to a scarcity of qualified staff.

Head Start is the closest thing the U.S. has to a national preschool program, yet it reaches of eligible children and families due to capacity challenges and income eligibility requirements. The narrow availability of free, accessible early learning programs makes the U.S. an outlier among peer nations, when it comes to the number of children who receive formal education before kindergarten. In 2022, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that for enrollment of 3- and 4-year olds in early learning programs.

To serve more children and families with important early learning opportunities, states and localities supplement Head Start funding with other investments in early education, building a patchwork system that is delicately woven together from multiple, insufficient revenue sources. This interconnected web of funding leaves local early education systems at risk when any one source is threatened. 

Even in this constrained environment, local programs continue to deliver results. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 essential to center the voices of the people who are closest to the work. A has been meeting monthly for the past year to navigate the challenges of implementing programs on the ground and to support each other in scaling high-quality early learning experiences for young children and their families. 

These leaders have shared about how they鈥檙e streamlining intake processes to , to support early learning programs, and rooted in their communities. Despite limited resources, they鈥檙e building programs that are equitable, culturally responsive and designed around what families actually need, in designing their programs. They’re reaching urban and rural families and children living in poverty everywhere, supporting children with disabilities, and acknowledging linguistic diversity 鈥� all while coping with persistent administrative burdens and workforce gaps. 

Head Start has been a for them. As Becky Mercatoris, director of the Department of Children Initiatives in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania described in one of the meetings, “When Head Start leaves, that impacts our childcare programs鈥� if we suddenly pull that piece of the Jenga puzzle out, there’s a lot of unintended consequences.” 

Although the immediate budget threat has eased, Head Start is far from safe, and there have been proposed cuts to that support families with young children. The suggests eliminating the Preschool Development Grants that enable states to build stronger systems and the , which supports student parents through campus-based child care programs. Critical social safety net programs that help families meet basic needs, like the and Medicaid are also threatened in Congress. Parents are already overwhelmed by the cost of , and . Many want to have more children . Why undercut programs that help them?

These threats to early childhood funding aren鈥檛 just policy decisions. They鈥檙e reflections of national priorities. When budget pressures hit, programs for children and families are often the first to go. That鈥檚 not fiscal discipline 鈥� it’s shortsightedness. Investments in young children yield some of the highest public returns: better health, and reduced need for later in life.

Head Start remains one of the most rigorously studied, community-rooted, and bipartisan-supported programs in the nation. Its success is evident. The path forward is clear. The federal government should increase investment so Head Start can expand access, especially for infants and toddlers; stabilize and strengthen the childcare workforce with better compensation and career development; and continue to listen to local providers, who are closest to families on the ground and understand what they actually need.

Underinvesting in America鈥檚 youngest children weakens families, constrains the workforce and stunts the country’s long-term economic growth. Head Start鈥檚 first 60 years proved what鈥檚 possible when the U.S. invests early and listens to the people doing the work. The next 60 will depend on whether our country鈥檚 leaders are willing to follow the evidence and deliver for America鈥檚 children.

When finished, they rub the remaining cornmeal dust over their hands and heart. 鈥淚t gives them strength,鈥� Gachupin said. Cornmeal is sacred to the Jemez, a federally recognized tribe, she explains. Each classroom has a cast-iron grinder attached to a desk with baskets of corn next to it. 鈥淲henever it鈥檚 getting low, without even telling them, [the children] will go to the machine and start grinding it,鈥� she said. 

The morning prayer and grinding of cornmeal are two of the many traditions 3- to 5-year olds learn at Walatowa鈥檚 Head Start, where Gachupin has taught for over 25 years. The entire program is conducted in Hemish (which as Hemish-Towa, or Towa), the oral language of the , as part of an effort to preserve the community’s language, history and culture.

Native American citizens represent about of the population in New Mexico, and tribes live on , like the Jemez Pueblo. Of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs in New Mexico, half are on tribal lands; is one of three that implements a formal language immersion program (the other two are Saad K’idily茅 Language Nest in Albuquerque and Keres Children鈥檚 Learning Center at Cochiti Pueblo). 

Over the past five years, New Mexico has made significant investments in early care and education, including expanding its funding, creating an in the state government and most notably, becoming the first state to guarantee a right to early childhood education. The state is also supporting programs that protect and preserve tribal languages and culture, including the New Mexico Indigenous Languages initiative, Native Language Database and Grow Your Own Indigenous Language Teacher Pipeline. Some of the state’s Head Start programs are also prioritizing preserving tribal culture in their work with young children and families.

Head Start is a free, federally funded child care program designed to serve children from low-income families by providing high-quality care so parents can work and offering early learning opportunities that get young children ready for school. The Trump Administration indicated it would , before in May. But for tribal communities like Jemez, Head Start provides more than just child care and school readiness, it creates a lifeline to their cultural identity, which . 

鈥淭he reality of language loss has really scared us,鈥� said Lana Garcia, the executive director of the Walatowa Head Start, who grew up speaking the Hemish language with her mother and grandmother at home. While Garcia spoke Hemish at home, she attended English-speaking schools, learned to read in English and was an English major in college before becoming a teacher in a local public school near Albuquerque. She moved back to Jemez in 2007 to lead the Walatowa program. Garcia recalls her own daughter asking her why she’d never been taught the language. “It was painful,” she said, adding that for so long, she’d assumed English had been the better language to learn.

Facilitating the language immersion program at the Walatowa Head Start has clarified for Garcia that young children can keep alive through the history and customs of their tribe. The curriculum is filled with activities specific to Jemez culture: customary songs and dances, story hour led by local elders, and traditional meals like atole, a blue corn drink served hot, Jemez enchiladas and frybread. The staff speak Hemish to one another and to the children. When Garcia answers a call in her office, she does so in Hemish, before switching to English if and when the caller requires it. 

It鈥檚 not uncommon among tribes for a language to be oral-only, like Hemish. Garcia explained that Hemish is considered sacred, and they do not have permission from tribal leaders to write it. 鈥淥ur language is really tied to our ceremonies,鈥� she explained. 

Because Head Start is federally funded, decisions about its future are made in Washington, not in . While federal funding covers 80% of the cost of each Head Start program, the local community is , and according to Garcia, she must plan carefully because operating a Head Start program on tribal land comes with additional costs. A bus driver is needed to transport the children to and from school, and the routes鈥� unpaved roads can lead to more repairs, which she must budget for. An enrollment decline has also created challenges. Before COVID, Walatowa served 70 children, and now it serves 57, meaning less federal money flowing to the program. 

Even though New Mexico has allocated significant funding for child care, there are no additional funds for Walatowa to operate should Head Start face federal cuts. The tribal government has no spare money 鈥� there is no back up plan to stay afloat. According to Garcia, the funding uncertainty has caused panic in her community. Before the administration pivoted from its plan to eliminate funding, Garcia said: 鈥淭he fact that Trump , that is alarming for a lot of us.鈥� 

But what Garcia does have is a strong success record of keeping the Hemish language and culture alive. Some of the skills the children receive from watching and taking part in Hemish ceremonies 鈥� such as having a longer, focused attention span 鈥� will help them throughout their education. 

鈥淲hen we watch our dances, it is all day,鈥� said Garcia. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e expected to sit and watch. Those expectations are given to us by the War Captains that you stay for the whole day. You stay until the very end.鈥�

As children have grown and graduated from Head Start, many have kept a strong connection to the Hemish culture and language. With pride, Garcia recalled seeing several boys who graduated the program take a prominent singing role during a tribal ceremony, and witnessing a child who insisted on going to the ceremony celebration on his own, even though his parents didn鈥檛 participate. 

鈥淪uccess is students who know who they are and where they come from and know how they can contribute to their community 鈥� that is the Jemez way of life,鈥� she said.

This work is supported by a at the Better Life Lab. More details on the reporting grants can .

Even with her expertise, she still appreciates the support she gets through a University of Arkansas-run network. With funding from a federal grant, 250 participants from across the state work on increasing and for delays in speech, motor or social skills. 

鈥淲e try to catch those things early,鈥� said Eichler. The network helped her become nationally accredited and now she鈥檚 one of the top-ranked providers in Arkansas. 鈥淭he better we get, the better our kids get. It’s a win-win for our state.鈥�

But President Donald Trump now wants to eliminate the funding that paid for that network and similar projects nationwide. Launched in 2014 during the Obama administration, were intended to expand pre-K for 4-year-olds from low-income families. During his first term, Trump significantly the grants into what Katharine Stevens, an early-childhood policy expert, described as a 鈥渃onservative-friendly鈥� effort to promote parent choice and put decisions about improving early learning in the hands of states.

The funds benefit kids from birth to age 5, not just pre-K students. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 hard for her to understand Trump鈥檚 reason for eliminating them. 

鈥淚 sympathize with people who are feeling like the federal government has just grown way out of control,鈥� said Stevens, founder and president of the Center on Child and Family Policy, a right-leaning early childhood think tank. But the grants, she said, have delivered 鈥渁 lot of bang for the buck鈥� by making it easier for parents to find high-quality programs. 鈥淛ust doesn鈥檛 make sense to end it.鈥� 

Despite his first-term goal of allowing states to take the lead, Trump wants to cut the program because it doesn鈥檛 increase the supply of preschool slots. The would save $539 million. Rachel Greszler, a senior research fellow at the right-wing Heritage Foundation, whose has guided much of the president鈥檚 second term, said the funding falls short because child care and early education programs don’t meet the demand. 

鈥淭hese taxpayer dollars have primarily gone towards the planning and administrative side of preschool 鈥� things like 鈥榠dentifying needs鈥� and 鈥榚ngaging stakeholders,鈥� 鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 needed most is more child care providers and more slots for children.鈥�

The grant program might result in or incentive payments for providers, but doesn鈥檛 necessarily bring new teachers into the field, she said.  

In an earlier , the Trump administration pinned its objections on former President Joe Biden鈥檚 use of the 鈥渦nproductive funds鈥� to 鈥減ush [diversity, equity and inclusion] on to toddlers.鈥� As an example, a brief paragraph points to Minnesota, which listed DEI buzzwords like 鈥渞acial equity鈥� and 鈥渋ntersectionality鈥� as for the grant in 2021. 

But many of the grants have gone to red states like Alabama, Florida and Idaho that have used the money to keep parents in the workforce and of early care and education programs, including Head Start.

Last October, 10 states and the District of Columbia received a , totaling $87 million over three years. One grantee, Kansas, is set to receive $21 million. In keeping with the to reduce regulations, the to speed up the fingerprinting process for staff and streamline applications for extra funding.

Minnesota intends to use its $24 million to support , family engagement efforts and salaries for early-childhood mental health professionals. The goals that the administration labeled DEI are not for classroom activities, said Anna Kurth, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Education, but to help children from low-income families gain access to services. 

As Congress debates next year鈥檚 budget, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, ranking Democrat on the and a former preschool teacher, said she hopes the grants continue. 

鈥淧resident Trump talks a lot about parental choice, and here he is pushing to ax investments to expand families鈥� child care and pre-K options,鈥� she said in a statement to 社区黑料. 鈥淐ongress has got to reject these cuts, and I鈥檒l be doing everything I can to ensure we do.鈥�

It鈥檚 unclear whether Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the committee, agrees with the president鈥檚 budget plan. But in announcing a Preschool Development Grant in 2023, she said it would 鈥渂uild an educational foundation for Maine children that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.鈥�

鈥楽hore it up鈥�

Parents have before their children become old enough for school, including long waitlists for good programs and costs that are often out of reach. Providers face their own financial obstacles. They鈥檙e compared to those in professions requiring similar training, and over 40% depend on and other public assistance programs to get by.

Stanford University鈥檚 , which has captured the impact of the pandemic on families and the workforce, shows that the percentage of early education providers struggling to afford at least one basic need increased in 2022 and was still high in 2024. 

Eliminating the grants won鈥檛 solve those problems, said Philip Fisher, who directs the Stanford Center on Early Childhood and founded the survey.

鈥淚f you think about a market that’s teetering on the edge of collapse, resources that go into that market are going to help shore it up,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his may not directly put money into the pockets of providers or parents to pay for care, but it creates a more efficient system and enhances quality 鈥� a huge issue for a lot of parents.鈥�

States have used the funds to address some of those challenges and to encourage early education leaders from school districts, child care centers and faith-based programs to tackle them together.

With a for 4-year-olds already in place, used its roughly $48 million in federal grants to coach child care providers, help teachers get bachelor鈥檚 degrees and improve transitions for kids into kindergarten.

The University of Arkansas spent the it received in 2023 to improve quality in rural areas, like Eichler鈥檚 town of Romance, about 45 miles north of Little Rock. 

鈥淟arge centers just aren’t viable in some of our communities,鈥� said Kathy Pillow-Price, director of Early Care and Education Projects at the university. 鈥�Family child care providers really support us and our workforce.鈥� 

鈥楶rivate and faith-based鈥�

With advocates concerned about the future of Head Start, which the administration initially proposed to eliminate, the fate of the Preschool Development Grants has received less attention. 

Trump鈥檚 budget, released May 30, preserves Head Start 鈥� rejecting, for now, a Project 2025 to end it. The document didn鈥檛 specifically cite Preschool Development Grants, but it called for shifting more child care funding toward . Trump鈥檚 Jan. 29 on school choice echoed that theme by calling for families to use their child care subsidies for鈥減rivate and faith-based options.鈥�

But experts say the grants have already met those expectations. As in Arkansas, Idaho used its funds to support the growth of licensed in 鈥渃hild care deserts,鈥� like rural areas. Leaders also offered providers training in business practices. 

Christian and other religious early-childhood programs have been among those benefiting from the federal money. According to a , 鈥渇aith-based entities鈥� were among the new partners in 2019 participating in state and local efforts to improve services. 

The grant program has been a boon to member schools by supporting quality improvements and training opportunities for staff, said Althea Penn, director of early education for the Association of Christian Schools International. 

Stevens, with the Center on Child and Family Policy, remembers how the goals of the program from primarily expanding pre-K during the Obama years to encouraging states to identify their own priorities under Trump. 

鈥淲e need state-level innovation,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat is the entire purpose of these grants.鈥�

And yet, we have reached what is perhaps a zenith in Trump-era politics of . The administration鈥檚 response to America鈥檚 youth crisis has been stunningly consistent: again and again, it has balanced occasional, to do something to address or on the one hand with real and stunningly on the other.聽

Perhaps the most direct and comprehensive assault on children is coming through the administration鈥檚 war on Head Start. , it鈥檚 the federal government鈥檚 largest-single investment in early learning, and it . Over its 60 years, Head Start has provided high-quality early learning as well as connecting around and their families to health and dental care, nutrition and housing assistance. 

During the 2024 campaign, Donald Trump echoed the Heritage Foundation鈥檚 Project 2025 playbook in . This was hardly novel: though Head Start has long enjoyed bipartisan support, a subset of , and have spent decades attacking the program. 

While the administration鈥檚 chaotic first 100 days of the federal supporting health and well-being, its attacks on Head Start have been uniquely unpredictable. , as Elon Musk and his underlings at the Department of Government Efficiency hacked away at the federal civil service, Head Start providers across the country reported that they were unable to access their normally scheduled federal payments. This posed a particular challenge for Head Start center directors navigating the tight margins that define the early education market; hundreds of early care and learning centers warned that they were at risk of closure. 

Later in the spring, the administration abruptly that offer resources, support and oversight for Head Start providers. 

Several weeks ago, it appeared that the administration was preparing to act more decisively to abandon U.S. kids and families who depend on Head Start. On April 17, the indicating that the Trump administration would erase Head Start funding in its forthcoming budget proposal. Once this hit the news, Head Start supporters to save the program, and the administration . 

While it appears that the administration isn鈥檛 (yet) ready to deliver on this promised assault on children鈥檚 well-being, it鈥檚 worth reminding ourselves just what a stunning mistake it would be to reduce this particular investment in U.S. kids and families. 

Head Start has been studied many times, and the results are broadly positive. Research on it 鈥� and other early education programs 鈥� finds a relatively consistent pattern:

• Early education programs are reliably good for families and at preparing kids for kindergarten
  
• There’s some waning of positive academic impacts as kids go through K-12
  
• But the long-term impacts of early ed investments are generally positive.聽

First, at helping children from historically marginalized communities. Perhaps most importantly in the present political context, early education programs tend to promote better child development outcomes that create cost savings for school budgets. This mostly results from pre-K programs like the likelihood that children will later require special education services or need to repeat a grade. 

For instance, economist Tim Bartik notes that studies show possible of 鈥�23 to 86 percent.鈥�   Meanwhile, if a child repeats second (or any) grade, the public pays an additional year of per-pupil funding, and it also delays their entry into the workforce. As such, and keep students on track for college and career is a efficient . Finally, early education programs like Head Start are a boon for working families because get after having a child. 

Most encouraging of all, Head Start appears to create some long-term positive effects. In 2022, the children of Head Start participants garnered benefits like higher high school graduation and college attainment rates, lower rates of teen pregnancy and reduced rates of interaction with the criminal justice system.

For instance, often point to the federal , which gathered data on programs in the early 2000s. It largely found that Head Start had positive initial effects on children鈥檚 development, but that these effects 鈥渇aded out鈥� as kids worked their way into the K鈥�12 education system. But prompted a field of its findings in the 2010s, with concluding that it meaningfully Head Start鈥檚 to . 

This begs some critical questions about how the public should measure 鈥渟uccess鈥� for Head Start. Begin here: nearly every study of nearly every early education investment shows that these programs are effective at getting kids ready for K鈥�12 schooling. Put simply, pre-K appears to be good at getting kids 鈥減re鈥�-pared for K(indergarten). 

The trouble is, political rhetoric about early education investments has sometimes presented them as an invulnerable “” against all challenges that children may face later in life. This is the wrong way to think about whether early education investments 鈥渨ork,鈥� because it sets an impossible bar for success. Head Start 鈥� or pre-K programs more generally 鈥� cannot wholly blunt poverty, poor health or the impacts of low-quality K鈥�12 classrooms.

Indeed, even , like those in a recent study of Tennessee鈥檚 public pre-K program, indicate a positive path forward for public early education investments. Initial studies of the program garnered headlines. While Tennessee pre-K attendees were than their peers who did not attend the program, pre-K attendees scored worse on a range of metrics by the end of elementary school. 

This is concerning! But a pre-K鈥檚 benefits were 鈥渕ost likely to persist until 3rd grade among those students who went on to attend high quality schooling environments and were taught by highly effective teachers.鈥� That is, Tennessee鈥檚 pre-K programs succeeded at preparing children for kindergarten, and kids who went from those programs into higher-quality elementary classrooms continued to do better.聽

In other words, if Head Start and other pre-K programs are measured as a one-time public investment that will solve all systemic inequities in American schools and society, they will inevitably appear to fail. But if they are measured against their ability to prepare children for elementary schools, it is clear that they are a success. 

Furthermore, this fairer definition of Head Start鈥檚 effectiveness would allow policymakers to focus their attention on the necessary work of investing and improving K鈥�12 schools so that they bolster children and families beyond the early years. 

People are scared and confused about communication from the Trump administration, or lack thereof, and they鈥檙e seeking guidance about how to navigate the whiplash. Most are worried because their grant funds are delayed or inaccessible 鈥� and they鈥檙e concerned about what that means for the children, families and staff that rely on federal dollars showing up.

The questions and concerns I field weekly span a number of issues including funding, communications, meeting the needs of children and families and recently, how to contact federal Head Start staff when half the workforce has been cut. 

Here are some recent inquiries I received, edited for clarity: 

I can鈥檛 draw down funds and need to make payroll in two days. My regional office closed. Can someone help me get in touch with the Office of Head Start?
鈥�A Head Start director

My grant funds are three months late. I need to tell parents and staff not to come on Monday if I don鈥檛 hear something soon. What should I do?
鈥�A Head Start director

A program鈥檚 website has banned words, and they received a monitoring letter. How do I know which words are now prohibited?
鈥�A state Head Start association director

Our grant award finally came, but only half of the funds. Why? Will I have to close in six months?
鈥�A Head Start director

My collective bargaining agreement requires me to give two weeks鈥� notice before laying off staff and there鈥檚 no word on my grant. I know I need to hand out pink slips but I will lose staff if I do. What should I do?
鈥�A Head Start director

The law requires me to serve children with disabilities, but now I鈥檓 told training on the Americans with Disabilities Act is prohibited. What do I do to protect children with disabilities?
鈥�A Head Start regional association director

Head Start History

Head Start is a nationwide early childhood development program that serves . Designed by child development experts in the 1960s, the original goal was to provide children in impoverished communities with skills to prepare them for school. At the time, preschool was uncommon: . Head Start revolutionized early childhood education, inspiring many states and communities to invest in public preschool programs. Over the past 30 years, the program has evolved to serve low-income families with children 0 to 5 years old. Head Start continues to take a holistic approach to school readiness, offering developmental screenings, nutritious meals and snacks, medical and dental care, and resources to help parents find and maintain employment. 

Until Jan. 20 at 11:59 a.m., I was the deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). That鈥檚 an unnecessarily long way of saying that a core part of my job was overseeing the Head Start program, so I鈥檝e seen firsthand how the program sets children up for success.

After four years in government, my plan was to spend more time with my own two children and take a break. That lasted about a week. On the morning of Jan. 28, I received a call from a Congressional staffer who was fielding calls from Head Start programs 鈥� Head Start funds were frozen 鈥� and it was creating chaos. A deluge of frantic calls followed. Program directors that they could not access funds in the that allows them to pay their staff, purchase supplies, and pay their bills. Concerned they wouldn鈥檛 be able to make ends meet, some site leaders started . Teachers panicked about potential layoffs, and staff about proposed budget cuts.

Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of the attacks that the Trump administration would launch on Head Start in its first 100 days. 

Federal staff responsible for administering the program were , leaving the Office of Head Start gutted. Layoffs included the sudden closure of around the country that interface with local programs. Grant awards arrived late, after weeks or months of silence. Program leaders went to draw down funds already approved by HHS only to receive to justify their spending. The Administration vague guidance prohibiting funds for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives with no explanation as to what that might include. And then, clearly outlined what many had suspected all along: the Trump administration planned to .

These actions had immediate impacts. That鈥檚 because Head Start uses a , meaning that the federal government awards dollars to community organizations, municipal governments and school districts that run local  programs. Since these funds must be used to directly serve children and families, there is no room for error. 

In April, for example, a program in Sunnyside, Washington, closed down after months of waiting for federal funds over a month after Congress had approved funds for Head Start. When a program closes, the impact ripples through the community. Children lose access to early learning, nutrition and health care. Parents lose access to child care. Staff go without pay. Local business vendors lose contracts for services like transportation, facility maintenance and food operations. 

The Washington program is the starkest example of the detrimental impact the Trump administration is having on Head Start, but the damage doesn鈥檛 end there.

Every time I speak with Head Start staff, the stress is palpable. They tell me that they鈥檙e living month-to-month, hoping their grants come through, carrying the weight of knowing that they may have to close their doors, and understanding all too well what that will mean for the children they serve. They reach out asking questions like: 鈥淲ho will take care of the children while their parents are at work if we close?鈥� 鈥淲here will the children get their meals?鈥� 鈥淗ow will families navigate health care?鈥� They lament over how difficult it is to calm the fears of staff and parents when they鈥檙e feeling anxious themselves. They share fears about not receiving a response to the desperate messages they are sending to a nameless email address at HHS. And they explain how they nervously check headlines during their lunch breaks, eager for news about whether Head Start is officially on the chopping block.

This is not the first time that Head Start has come under threat. While other federal programs designed to address poverty have fallen by the wayside, Head Start has survived regular attempts to target it. My own career began in 2003, when I was an intern at the National Head Start Association while then-President George W. Bush . That effort was stymied by a groundswell of opposition. More than 20 years later, my then-boss Joel Ryan, who leads the Washington State Head Start Association, is the lead plaintiff in a , alleging that the agency is . Once you鈥檙e part of the army fighting for Head Start, you don鈥檛 leave.

Over the past few months, I’ve seen the grit, determination and commitment of the community ready to fight once again. Head Start is more than a program. It’s a world view that has set the gold standard for early childhood education 鈥� one that asserts that parents are their child’s first and most important teachers; that a young child’s physical, cognitive and emotional development are inextricably linked and must be simultaneously supported; and that children with disabilities rightfully belong in classrooms with their peers and with supports to allow them to fully participate. 

That world view is critical to Head Start’s durability because it drives people not only to work for the program, but to defend it when it comes under scrutiny. 

The people who work at Head Start 鈥� from classroom teachers to federal staff 鈥� are among the most committed public servants I’ve met throughout my career. They are driven by their belief that the model provides millions of children with opportunities they would not otherwise have. And thebacks it up. Children who attend Head Start compared to children from similar backgrounds who do not.

It’s that belief that drives teachers and staff to stay, even if it means living with the reality that changes in political headwinds could put their career in jeopardy. It’s why leaders in state Head Start membership associations are working into the wee hours readying an advocacy campaign. It’s why federal staff spent the hours they had after learning they would be terminated desperately trying to transfer their files to someone else to pick up the work before access was cut off.

Head Start endures because it has inspired generations of children, parents, teachers and advocates to commit to keeping the promise of the program for another generation. 

Their work might be paying off. More recently, there are signals that the Trump administration could be backing off of their proposal to eliminate Head Start. The so-called . After widespread alarm, most programs anticipating grant awards on May 1 received their funds. 

Yet, there are constant reminders that Head Start is not yet out of the woods. Some programs inexplicably received only part of their funds. The threat of vague language prohibiting DEI lingers over programs that wonder if they will be the next target. No one knows how the Office of Head Start will continue to administer the program with half of its staff. 

This chaos is far from over, but the Head Start community is resilient and ready to fight for a program that has offered millions of children the opportunity for a better life.

This story was originally published by . for their newsletters.

Chalk one up for the 4-year-olds.

Thanks to a relentless onslaught of pleading, cajoling, lobbying and public pressure, Head Start appears to have dodged the federal budget axe 鈥� for the time being.

Last month, President Donald Trump鈥檚 early budget draft of Head Start, the free early-childhood program for low-income families. Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation鈥檚 conservative policy roadmap, also called for the , saying it has 鈥渓ittle or no academic value.鈥�

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That triggered an all-hands-on-deck response from Head Start staff, families and alumni, who touted the program鈥檚 success in propelling families out of poverty. The National Head Start Association said advocates sent more than 300,000 letters to Congress, added more than 50,000 signatures to and attended rallies throughout the country.

Meanwhile, Head Start advocates took to social media and to plead their case and visited Republican members of Congress to convince them of the program鈥檚 value. They reached out directly to the White House. In their free time, advocates said they lobbied everyone from neighbors to hairdressers to gardeners 鈥� anyone who had even a remote interest in the program.

It appears to have worked: The latest draft of Trump鈥檚 budget proposal, released last week, doesn鈥檛 call for any changes to the $12.27 billion program.聽Still, advocates worry that new cuts may lie ahead.

鈥淲e mobilized absolutely everyone,鈥� said Melanee Cottrill, executive director of Head Start in California. 鈥淲e launched a very intensive campaign. We still have a lot of concerns, but right now there鈥檚 a sigh of relief.鈥�

From prenatal to kindergarten

Head Start, launched in 1965, served about 800,000 children last year, including 83,000 in California. Originally a preschool, the program now serves children from birth through age 5. Children get meals and a play-based academic curriculum that prepares them for kindergarten, while families get housing and job assistance, referrals to social and medical services, prenatal visits and parenting support.

To qualify, families need to be below the , which is $26,650 for a family of three, be homeless or receive food assistance. Children in foster care also qualify.

The program is relatively cost-efficient: The per-pupil annual cost is about $13,700, compared to the cost of private preschool, which in California can easily exceed $20,000 a year, depending on the location.

Research is mixed on the program鈥檚 effectiveness. found that Head Start alumni had significantly higher rates of high school and college graduation. But found that children who attended Head Start outperformed their peers at first, but by third grade the advantage had all but dissipated.

Regardless, the program is immensely popular with families and programs typically have waiting lists.

Head Start is helping families in San Diego

Oscar Gomez, vice chair of Episcopal Community Services鈥� board of directors, a Head Start provider in San Diego, attended the program as a child growing up in Tulare County. While his mother worked in the nearby almond and orange orchards and took English classes, Gomez and his three siblings learned to share and take turns, count to 20 and write their names.

Head Start imbued him with a love of school and allowed his mother to take classes that led to higher-paying jobs, he said. Gomez went on to get two master鈥檚 degrees and his mother now conducts home visits for Head Start.

鈥淚 can honestly say that without Head Start I would not be where I am today, and there are millions and millions of people like me,鈥� Gomez said.

Episcopal Community Services runs 17 Head Start programs, serving 1,200 children from Chula Vista, San Ysidro, San Diego and other communities. Parents typically work in local restaurants or hotels, and 60% share their living quarters with other families.

If they lost Head Start, families would either have to curtail their work hours or leave their children with neighbors or other family members, arrangements not likely to provide the same high-quality curriculum or services, said Rosa Cabrera-Jaime, the organization鈥檚 director of early education and family services.

鈥淎bsolutely, some of our families would become homeless if they lost Head Start,鈥� she said.

Precious Jackson, a single mother of four, has relied on Head Start while she earns her bachelor鈥檚 degree and works as a substitute school librarian in San Diego. She also credits Head Start for providing speech therapy to her son, when he wasn鈥檛 talking as a toddler, and providing an extra academic boost to her daughter, whom she believes is intellectually gifted.

鈥淗ead Start has made a tremendous difference in my life,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淚 am not wasting one drop of this opportunity.鈥�

Without Head Start, she鈥檇 be working two or three jobs just to pay for child care, she said. Now, she can plan a higher-paying career. She hopes to graduate soon with a degree from University of Arizona鈥檚 online campus and work as a school librarian.

But she鈥檚 rattled by potential cuts to Head Start, which could derail her own education.

鈥淔or me, Head Start is a necessity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to tell Congress, Head Start works. Let鈥檚 keep it rolling.鈥�

鈥楩olks are scared鈥�

Congress will release its budget in the next few weeks, and Head Start advocates are confident that it will reflect Trump鈥檚 wish to save the program. But it鈥檚 not guaranteed, and the final budget may still include steep cuts. In addition, they worry about cuts to other programs, such as Medicaid, that could cause Head Start families to lose health care and other services.

Neither Trump nor Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who oversees Head Start, have addressed Head Start cuts directly, but Trump has said he wants to hand more education programs to the states and reduce federal spending. Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers have come out in favor of Head Start, including numerous members of the California Legislature who last week joined their Democratic colleagues to send to Congress asking to protect the program.

Cuts to HSS have already affected services, Cottrill said. Amid a , the agency closed half of its regional centers, including one in San Francisco, leading to long delays in getting help and receiving payments. An HHS has prevented Head Start staff from getting clarity on funding.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had programs within hours of closing their doors,鈥� Cottrill said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been so hard to keep morale up and keep staff focused on their jobs, if they don鈥檛 know whether they鈥檒l have a job tomorrow and families don鈥檛 know if they鈥檒l have someplace to take their children.鈥�

Head Start staff also worry about the Trump administration鈥檚 anti-diversity orders. The program requires a approach in the classroom, which includes bilingual education and meals that children would recognize from home, among other things. Staff aren鈥檛 sure how to comply with Trump鈥檚 orders while also meeting program requirements.

Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, said the recent tumult has left staff and families nervous.

鈥淔olks are scared. The fact that eliminating Head Start was even under consideration has been scary,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e confident that Congress will do the right thing, but even a 25% cut would be pretty austere.鈥�

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