Head Start cuts possible in Austin and elsewhere
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Worries are growing over funding for Head Start, the decades-old federal program that provides child care, 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 health care services, per a report from CAP out last week.
Zoom in: Austin-area congressional districts represented by Democratic Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar and Republican Michael McCaul have at least 11,000 funded Head Start slots.
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 group behind the conservative roadmap says the program has little value, claiming fraud and abuse are big issues.
- But much research over the years has found that Head Start improves educational outcomes, reduces teen pregnancy and "criminal engagement," and even increases wages in adulthood.