Some Head Start programs still having trouble accessing federal money after Trump funding freeze
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As President Trump continues making cuts to federal programs and funding, Democratic leaders in Illinois are warning about how this is affecting families involved with the Head Start early childhood education program.
Gov. JB Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth were at Two Rivers Head Start in Elgin on Saturday, and said ever since Trump ordered a federal funding freeze last week, they've had difficulty accessing federal money, even though courts have blocked the president's move.
Duckworth said, even though the White House has said the memo ordering a freeze on funding for federal assistance has been rescinded, and courts have ordered the Trump administration to stop the freeze, some organizations that rely on federal grants already have been hurt by the confusion that the unexpected order created.
"If you think Trump's illegal funding freeze is actually paused, and the financial pain that many are feeling is paused along with it, well you would be wrong. The financial setbacks triggered by Trump's illegal freeze are cruelly forcing providers to weigh impossible decisions, like how they'll pay to both keep their lights on and feed the children who depend on them," she said.
Kelly Neidel, executive director of Two Rivers Head Start, said in her 35 years with the organization, they've always had bipartisan support in Congress to fund Head Start programs.
As a nonprofit, they rely heavily on federal funding to run day-to-day operations.
"We can't set a bunch of money aside. I wish we could, I wish we had a secret stash, but we don't. So when it goes day-to-day, and literally I was waking up at 2 o'clock in the morning checking our bank account. Did we have money? Are we going to have to let the staff go tomorrow? You know, it's a constant," she said.
Many other Head Start programs across the country also have had trouble accessing federal funds.
Unlike regular pre-schools, Head Start often helps students and their families with things like food, clothes, and housing.
"Despite what Donald Trump and Elon Musk think, these aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet. These are people. They're real people. They're working parents. They're children whose lives Donald Trump is playing games with," Pritzker said.
According to the Illinois Head Start Association, they've served more than 24,000 families.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
13 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Sen. Padilla's removal from Noem event indicative of Trump's cynical policies
The slam down, handcuffing and forceful removal of Sen. Alex Padilla from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference on Thursday flows from the violence and unrest caused by President Donald Trump's policies to go after the undocumented immigrants where they work, shop and go to school. Immigrants are not criminals but hard-working people (often in jobs others would not consider) who pay taxes and contribute significantly to our economy. They have been allowed to stay in the United States, often for generations, because they are needed Both political parties have failed to pass legislation that would deal with immigration in an efficient and humane way. The most recent attempt, before the presidential election, would have passed but for the opposition of candidate Trump, who cynically sought to exploit the issue. I fear he is now exploiting the unrest he is causing to use it as a means to declare martial law and gain absolute power. Tom Miller, Oakland Deport the worst I am somewhat appalled by the media describing the disruptions in Los Angeles as mostly peaceful demonstrations protected by free speech, accompanied by pictures of burning cars, looting and attacks on police. If these people want to peacefully join our society, why are some of them waving Mexican and, in a few cases, BLM flags? If they intend to intimidate me, they should return to their own country, self-identified by the flag they are waving. Most of our forebears came here legally and peacefully, including, in my case, some from Mexico. I would be happy with a system that screens potential citizens, and excludes those who want to commit crimes or intimidate those around them. I approve of President Donald Trump's stated goal of deporting the worst first. We need to get rid of those who commit crimes. I would be happy to see new citizens, but not the thugs who intimidate us through their demonstrations. Peter Behr, San Anselmo Newsom is right Regarding 'Trump vs. Newsom an ugly skirmish that benefits both politicians' (Politics, June 10): The story suggests that President Donald Trump's search for dictatorial powers through intimidation, fear and escalating violence, and Gov Gavin Newsom calling this out is simply a tit-for-tat play for the attention of an uninformed public. It is becoming more obvious that Trump is trying to tear down the guardrails of civil society, trash the Constitution and eliminate all opposition. If Gov. Newsom did not express his strong, powerful and articulate opposition to this despicable behavior, he would not be doing his job. The Chronicle must not be afraid to illuminate the fact that Trump is a mortal danger to our democratic way of life. Kanda Alahan, Concord
Buzz Feed
15 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
18 People Reacted To Trump Possibly Pardoning Diddy
As you probably know by now, Sean 'Diddy' Combs was indicted in 2024 on federal charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. Recently, HuffPost and BuzzFeed wrote about how Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked the president if he would consider pardoning Diddy. Trump told Doocy, "I haven't spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up, from what I read." "I don't know, he didn't tell me that. But I'd read some … nasty statements in the paper all of a sudden." Trump, who once ran in the same wealthy social circles as Diddy, continued, "You know, it's different. You become a much different person when you run for politics, and you do what's right. I could do other things, and I'm sure he'd like me, and I'm sure other people would like me, but it wouldn't be as good for our country." In other words, Trump didn't give a definitive answer on whether he would pardon Diddy. People in the comments had a lot to say on the topic. Here are some of the best replies: "If Diddy is found guilty, he should not be pardoned. Stop pardoning people who were found or plead guilty." —cole Melton "When considering whether to pardon someone, Trump couldn't care less about whether a person is guilty. As long as the person has some kind words for Trump and/or helped Trump get even richer, the person has a good chance of getting a pardon." "Ask Trump voters if they voted for this corruption of the pardon system."—Carl Hayman "The fact that Trump commented on pardoning Diddy during an active, ongoing trial…I am just speechless. It completely undermines the entire justice system." "Always follow the money. Trump is using the power to pardon as an ATM. He only cares about the next money making opportunity, not law and order, justice, the Constitution, or keeping the guilty in jail. And most assuredly not you and me." —d icard "Even MAGA people on Fox and Breitbart are exploding over this. They hate this idea. Democrats need to keep the topic of Trump possibly pardoning Diddy front and center. Talk about it whenever they can. Keep it in the headlines." —TACO Trump "He says, 'I would certainly look at the facts.' And then what? Ignore them like he did with the results of the 2020 election? It used to be that if you wanted to win a high political office, you had to have character. Now all it takes (at least if you're a Republican) is to be a character." —Carl Olson "'You are the company you keep' has never been more true than as it relates to these two." "There is no justice system if anyone can simply prove love to their president and get a pardon." —Cory Crete"Pardons are now for sale."—James Gettings "Well, being liked is obviously the most important factor in any pardon." —Les Vogt "This isn't just grotesque; it's the rot made visible. Trump floating a pardon for a man indicted for sex trafficking, while reminiscing about party invitations and wounded egos, is less a statement of justice than a confession of moral bankruptcy. It's not about innocence or guilt — it's about whether someone 'used to really like' him." "In Trump's world, the law isn't sacred; it's a velvet rope outside a nightclub, waved aside with the casual shrug of a man picking names from a guest list."—Miles West "If our Republic is still standing in a few years, a different Congress must amend the Constitution to limit presidential pardons." "No more presidential pardons. I would let them commute death sentences, but nothing more. Enough of this abuse. These people had their day in court and have had chances to appeal. I don't trust anyone with that power anymore. Get rid of it." —Charles James "It's so weird (but so typical) that Trump has to tell everyone that Diddy 'used to like me a lot,' as if that's the most relevant thing about the issue. What a terrible thing it must be to live a life actually believing inside that you're incapable of being loved. That's the overriding reality that has made Trump who he is — an immensely insecure, flawed man." —David Hardy "'When you're president you do what's right.' I can't believe he said that because he certainly doesn't abide by that whatsoever." —Jenny Tayla "Whenever he talks about anyone — and I mean anyone — he always comments on if that person likes him or not. Narcissistic dictator." "I pray that Trump does not pardon Diddy. He's just as bad as Jeffrey Epstein and R. Kelly." —smileyzombie492 "Trump is sans empathy. He is a woman-hating dumpster fire." —jamesnylan And finally, "At least he didn't say he would. I was relieved to not read even that. The bar is low. 😭" The article people commented on originally appeared on HuffPost.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
I'm an Economist: 4 Bits of Investing Advice Amid Turbulent Trump Market
Since President Trump took office for the second time, the market has been on a wild ride largely due to implementation of mass tariffs, causing many Americans nearing retirement and those who have already stopped working to panic for their 401(k)s. For You: Check Out: 'I looked at my 401(k) this morning and in the last two days that's lost $58,000. That's stressful,' recent retiree Victor Fettes, 54, told NBC News. 'If that continues, I can't stay retired.' With the market in continuous flux, Trump's tariffs threaten to increase prices and inflation. And Americans are feeling financially strapped. Many are worried about their golden years and whether they should invest. While there's no one size fits all answer, there are several things to consider, according to experts. It's scary to shell out money for investments when the market is uncertain. One benefit to investing during such economic instability is you can often buy stocks at a lower price and sell them at a higher cost later. However, individual situations vary. Tracy Shuchart, Senior Economist at NinjaTrader, advised to take note of Russell Investments' comprehensive analysis of 31 U.S. recessions from 1869 to 2018. 'Historical evidence strongly supports continued investment during periods of economic uncertainty, despite the counterintuitive nature of this approach,' she stated, referring to the data revealing 16 out of the 31 recessions produced positive stock market returns. She explained, 'Market timing presents significant challenges that argue against attempting to avoid volatile periods entirely and that Russell Investments' research demonstrates beating a buy-and-hold strategy over 150 years would require correctly predicting 77% of market turning points — a level of accuracy that proves elusive even for professional investors.' Looking to the past to see how the country endured previous economically challenging times can help forecast how future recessions will fare, and determine a financial path that will build long-term stability even during shaky times. Discover More: A volatile market can create a lack of confidence when it comes to investing, but there are calculated systems that can work during turbulent times such as the dollar-cost averaging strategy. It involves investing a fixed amount in regular intervals, whatever the amount is. According to Shuchart, this method 'provides both mathematical and behavioral advantages during volatile markets.' She explained further that 'this mechanism reduces the average cost per share over time, while eliminating the need for timing decisions.' Amy Pridemore, a financial wellness instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University, agreed that dollar-cost averaging is the way to go. 'This action allows individuals to create healthy savings behaviors regardless of current market trends,' she explained Pridemore went on to say that 'money will be invested when the market is down, money will be invested when the market is up — this 'set it and forget it' approach provides wins for investors all around.' Another approach Shuchart recommended was quality focus — investing in companies with solid fundamentals, consistent profitability and a strong history of growth. 'Companies with strong balance sheets, consistent earnings, competitive advantages and experienced management teams typically demonstrate greater resilience during economic stress, and often emerge stronger when conditions improve,' she explained. Quality focus can reduce the risk, while creating the opportunity for a potential big payout, according to The Economic Times. Making a big financial decision under distress can lead to a shattering outcome, and cause you to leave money on the table. According to Shuchart, BlackRock's analysis of S&P 500 performance from 2005 to 2024 demonstrated the severe consequences of missing market recovery periods: Remaining fully invested: $717,046 (from $100,000 initial investment) Missing the 5 best days: $452,884 (37% reduction) Missing the 25 best days: $158,792 (78% reduction) A rushed choice about financial matters doesn't always end well. When making investment decisions, it's vital to think long term. 'The economy has shown fluctuations and recovery,' Peter Reagan, financial market strategist at Birch Gold Group, stated. 'It will continue to do so.' He explained, 'Having investments that have shown their strength of preserving wealth across these fluctuations is something to remember before even considering selling any investments.' Editor's note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on More From GOBankingRates 5 Types of Cars Retirees Should Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on I'm an Economist: 4 Bits of Investing Advice Amid Turbulent Trump Market
