Advocates worry over possible cuts to Head Start
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Worries are growing over funding for Head Start, the decades-old federal program that provides childcare, nutrition assistance and other services to the nation's poorest families.
Why it matters: Shuttering the program — something the White House is reportedly considering — would be "catastrophic," says Casey Peeks, senior director of Early Childhood Policy at the liberal Center for American Progress.
- More than 790,000 children, through age 5, rely on Head Start for learning, meals and healthcare services, per a report from CAP out Wednesday morning.
The big picture: There would be ripple affects for other families if child care providers lose access to this funding — straining a nationwide system already struggling with wait lists and high costs.
- Such disruption would hit "not only our staff, but our parents that are working," says Jennifer Carrol, the Assistant Director of Children's Services at Community Action Partnership of North Alabama, one of the largest Head Start programs in Alabama, serving over 1,600 children across 15 counties.
By the numbers: The impact would be particularly hard on rural America, per CAPs report.
- 46% of Head Start funding goes to rural areas, often in places without any other child care options, according to federal data from the 2023-2024 school year they analyzed. Only 22% is for those in urban areas.
Zoom in: CAP looked at Head Start funding by Congressional district and found it is pretty evenly split between parties, with 47% going to Republican districts, particularly in those rural areas.
Where it stands: Earlier this month, several regional Head Start offices were shuttered as part of broader cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the program.
- Earlier this year, after a White House funding freeze, many Head Start programs struggled to stay afloat.
- "There's just this cloud of uncertainty right now," says Tommy Sheridan, deputy director at National Head Start Association, a nonprofit that represents children, families and programs.
- He said providers and parents are both worried about the program, started as part of Lyndon B. Johnson's war on poverty.
For the record: The White House didn't respond to questions about possible further cuts to Head Start.
Between the lines: Eliminating Head Start is one of Project 2025's goals; the conservative group says the program has little value; claiming fraud and abuse are big issues.
- But many research papers over the years have found that for kids, Head Start improves educational outcomes, reduces teen pregnancy and "criminal engagement," and even increases wages into adulthood.
Reality check: Long-time Head Start employees say they've often worried over cuts in the past, but typically funding has garnered bipartisan support — the program has received increases in 12 out of the past 15 years, including during the first Trump term.
- "We don't see them zeroing out Head Start," says Carroll in Alabama. "This has come up previously, through the 25 years."
