Advocates worry over possible Head Start cuts
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Worries are growing over funding for Head Start, the decades-old federal program that provides child care, learning, meals 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 up to age 5 rely on Head Start, per a report from CAP out Wednesday.
Zoom in: Arkansas House District 3, which encompasses Northwest Arkansas, has 749 funded slots for Headstart, according to CAP.
- The state has 7,396 funded slots overall.
The big picture: There would be ripple effects 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 a 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, which serves more than 1,600 children across 15 counties.
By the numbers: Rural America would be hit particularly hard if cuts are enacted, per CAP's report.
- Nearly half of Head Start funding, 46%, goes to rural areas, often in places without any other child care options, according to federal data from the 2023-2024 school year that CAP analyzed.
- CAP looked at Head Start funding by Congressional district and found it is pretty evenly split between parties, with 47% going to Republican districts.
State of play: Several regional Head Start offices were shuttered earlier this month as part of broader cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the program.
Between the lines: Conservative groups say the program has little value, and that fraud and abuse are big issues.
- But research has found that Head Start improves educational outcomes for kids, 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 received increases in 12 out of the past 15 years, including during the first Trump term.