Trump's proposed Head Start cuts could worsen Utah's child care crisis
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Thousands of Utah children could lose funding for Head Start, the decades-old federal program that provides child care, nutrition assistance and other services to the nation's poorest families.
Driving the news: The Trump administration called for the program's elimination in a draft budget plan first obtained last week by the Washington Post.
Why it matters: Shuttering the program would be "catastrophic," says Casey Peeks, senior director of early childhood policy at the liberal Center for American Progress (CAP).
- More than 790,000 children 5 and under rely on Head Start for learning, meals and health care services, per a CAP report released last week.
- About 6,100 of those slots are in Utah.
The big picture: There will be ripple effects for other families if child care providers lose access to this funding — straining a nationwide system already struggling with waitlists and high costs.
Zoom in: 77% of Utahns lived in "child care deserts" as of 2019, CAP found — the biggest share of any state.
- Licensed child care providers have capacity for just 14% of Utah's need, according to a December report commissioned by state lawmakers.
- Parents are facing a "child care crisis," state Sen. Luz Escamilla (D-Salt Lake City) told FOX 13 last month.
Zoom out: 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 CAP analyzed.
- Only 22% is for those in urban areas.
By the numbers: Utah's 2nd Congressional District had the most Head Start slots at 3,600, with another 1,300 in the 3rd, per CAP's analysis.
- The funds are pretty evenly split between parties, with 47% going to Republican districts.
Where it stands: 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 a White House 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.
For the record: The White House didn't respond to Axios' 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.
The other side: Research over the years has found that 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.