Child care crisis could worsen as Head Start faces potential cuts
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
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 lowest-income families and serves thousands of children in San Diego County.
Why it matters: Ending 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 kids through age 5 nationwide rely on Head Start for learning, meals and health care services, per a report from CAP released Wednesday.
Zoom in: San Diego County has dozens of Head Start centers, with more than 4,700 child care slots funded by federal grants totaling about $107.5 million last school year, according to the CAP report.
- The funding cuts would hit nonprofit Neighborhood House Association, which operates many of the local centers through one of largest programs in the country, Voice of San Diego reports.
- In addition to providing free child care, Head Start helps parents find jobs or further their education, provides dental screenings and mental health resources for kids and even buys glasses for them, according to Voice.
State of play: Losing funding would add to the shortage of local child care providers, especially affordable ones, that's already forcing parents out of the workforce.
- The average monthly cost for a San Diego County child care center is $1,650 for infants and $1,200 for preschoolers, according to YMCA data. But it varies by neighborhood.
- Meanwhile, California is expanding free transitional kindergarten (TK) to get 4-year-olds into public schools, relieving the cost of child care for at least one year — though space is tight.
- San Diego Unified, an early adopter of TK, is adding 23 classrooms in high-demand areas, which is a 10% increase.
Where it stands: Earlier this month, several regional Head Start offices were closed — including California's — as part of broader cuts at the federal Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the program.
- Earlier this year, after a White House funding freeze, many 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.
The other side: 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 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.