Started in 1965, Head Start is the longest-running early education program for children of low-income families in the U.S. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
Washington's Head Start programs have joined a lawsuit against the federal government over potential cuts to the early childhood education program that serves thousands of low-income families.
Why it matters: Head Start serves more than 790,000 children through age 5 who rely on the federally funded program for learning, meals and health care services, per a report from Center for American Progress.
Driving the news: The Washington State Association of Head Start joined parent advocates and Head Start programs in Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Illinois in a lawsuit filed against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
The big picture: The suit follows reports that the Trump administration's proposed budget would eliminate Head Start by September, describing the program as "radical" and criticizing its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
HHS has already closed half of the Head Start offices nationwide, including Seattle's.
What they're saying: "By cutting off funding, slashing staff, and imposing executive orders that block programs from fulfilling their mission ... the administration has defied Congress's mandate to continue Head Start services nationwide," La Rond Baker, legal director of ACLU of Washington, said in an email.
