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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Cuts at what cost? Childhood care and education leaders weigh in on spending bill's impacts
( — As the Senate continues to debate the passage of the 'Big, Beautiful Bill', California leaders in early childhood care and education are anticipating the impacts of looming federal cuts. Bianca Ventura sat down with First 5 California and Child Care Resource Center representatives on Wednesday. The two organizations have been advocating for California children and families on Capitol Hill. Though they've seen bipartisan support in preserving children's resources like Head Start, they say potential cuts to Medi-Cal and nutritional programs like SNAP could impact children's overall health. 'There are huge cuts proposed in the House reconciliation package to the Medicaid program,' said Vice President of the Child Care Resource Center, Donna Sneeringer. 'Many of those recipients are young children. I think one of the things that we have been trying to speak with lawmakers about, as well as with the public, is that this will not just impact those who are receiving those services through Covered California. They are going to impact our overall health care system. Particularly our rural health care system, our hospitals. It will impact our emergency room services. Everyone's care will become harder to come by and more expensive.' If federal investments are rolled back on health services, food support, and child care, the experts we spoke with anticipate that some of the costs will be shifted. Possibly putting the burden on employers to provide access to health care. 'A lot of businesses, because they are also struggling themselves with the affordability crisis and materials. They can't necessarily afford the robust health care that their employees deserve,' said First 5 California Executive Director, Jackie Wong. 'However, a lot of their employees are likely on Medicaid.' Wong adds that many of those employees work entry-level positions that the state relies on to support the economy. As for education, when we last checked in with leaders in early childhood development and care. President Trump's executive order to dismantle the Department of Education was still in effect. Since then, a federal judge blocked the administration's efforts to eliminate the department while ordering the rehiring of employees who were fired in mass layoffs. Yet, Wong tells us cuts within the department have made it difficult to carry out administrative tasks, like completing payments to Head Start providers. She even learned of cuts to certain programs the last time she traveled to Washington D.C. to speak with Congressional leaders. 'While we were there, actually, we had gotten wind that grants to steward mental health got cut,' said Wong. 'They are actually, in real time, pulling back and clawing back their investments that actually have supported young learners, as well as our students and our student community.' As for what's next? Representatives with First 5 California and the CCRC are going to continue their advocacy in Washington D.C. CCRC is currently collecting stories in hopes of sharing them with congressional lawmakers who want to hear the impacts of federal funding cuts firsthand. Families and caregivers are encouraged to share their testimonies of how they are making ends meet while navigating food costs, health and child care, along with living expenses. You can find more details and pass along your story to state representatives by visiting Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuts at what cost? How Department of Education cuts threaten our children's future
( — Federal cuts to the Department of Education are already having local consequences in our regional school districts. First 5 California's Executive Director, Jackie Thu-Huong Wong, shared that federal funding makes up 10 percent of most local school district budgets. That funding is aimed at helping the region's most marginalized students, especially those from under-resourced communities, children with disabilities and rural families. Wong also adds that cuts to the Department of Education are already affecting budget planning for local school districts and early education care providers. 'School districts, educators, providers don't actually have access to even just the basic kind of conversations that they usually are asking people, 'Where are my grants? When is my payment coming? Where's our fee? Are we going to get renewed?' They are actually getting transferred into automated messages that don't give them any information,' said Wong. This comes as the department laid off more than 1,300 members of its staff while ending some of its nationwide leases, including its San Francisco office. The state-wide leaders in education we spoke to added that basic education services like subsidized child care and Head Start are also being threatened. Reports show that cuts in Head Start alone could roll back services for 80,000 California children. These consequences served as a catalyst for First 5 California and its partner agencies, including the 'Child Care Resource Center' and 'Child Action,' to advocate on Capitol Hill for Congressional support in keeping the department intact. Director of Government Relations at the Child Care Resource Center, Dr. Lawanda Wesley, said, 'Where we do have hope is that we have at least 12 Republicans have come out at a bipartisan level and said, 'We are signing on, we are going to take the stand.' And I think when we have Congressional members that come out on a bipartisan level, you start to see others who are ready to take a seat.' Despite President Donald Trump's executive order, the Department of Education can not be dismantled without an act of Congress. Dr. Wesley adds, 'We also have Congressional members at the bipartisan level issuing their own bipartisan child care bills. So that gives you another sign of hope. They are in support of families, they believe families should have options.' First 5 California and its partner agencies tell FOX40 they are planning to travel back to Washington, D.C. in the following weeks to continue working with both sides of the aisle in hopes of getting lawmakers to invest in early child care and education. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
