Trump's proposed Head Start cuts threaten Michigan child care
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Thousands of Michigan children are at risk of losing access to Head Start — and with it, the stability that helps keep families afloat.
Why it matters: The decades-old federal program supports over 790,000 low-income children nationwide with education, meals and health care.
- In Michigan alone, more than 25,000 slots are on the line, a report released last week from the liberal Center for American Progress (CAP) shows.
- Shuttering the program would be "catastrophic," says Casey Peeks, senior director of early childhood policy at CAP.
State of play: The Trump administration called for the program's elimination in a draft budget plan first obtained by the Washington Post last week.
The big picture: This month, several regional Head Start offices were shuttered as part of broader cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the program.
- Many Head Start programs have struggled to stay afloat since the White House imposed a funding freeze earlier this year.
- "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.
Zoom in: Funding for Michigan Head Start programs has been unsteady since the state's regional Office of Head Start in Chicago closed on April 1, Robin Bozek, executive director at the Michigan Head Start Association, told Michigan Public.
- The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency has asked for more information in response to routine funding requests from some Head Start programs, Bozek said.
By the numbers: Michigan's 1st Congressional District, which covers the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, had the most Head Start slots for the 2023-24 school year at 5,300.
- The 13th District, which includes Detroit, came in second with about 3,700, per CAP's analysis.
- As of 2021, 44% of Michiganders lived in "child care deserts," CAP found.
For the record: The White House did not respond to Axios' inquiries about potential 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.
The other side: Over the years, research has found that Head Start improves educational outcomes, reduces teen pregnancy and "criminal engagement," and even increases wages in adulthood.