Latest news with #HeadStartProgram
Los Angeles Times
06-05-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
California legislators are protesting Trump's cuts to Head Start — even Republicans
Karen Locken, left, plays with children in the Early Head Start program at Pacific Clinics Head Start in Pasadena, Friday, April 18. Two-thirds of California legislators signed a letter urging the state's Congressional delegation to protect Head Start The legislators said they are 'deeply alarmed' by a growing list of threats to the program by the Trump administration Nearly 1000 Head Start employees in California have already received pink slips On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of legislators in Sacramento released a letter urging California's congressional delegation to protect the embattled Head Start program and reject any proposed Trump administration cuts. The letter, which was signed by over three-quarters of state lawmakers, said they are 'deeply alarmed' by a growing list of cuts to the federal early childhood program under the Trump administration — including the threat of total elimination — and asked that Congress 'reject any proposals that weaken or eliminate Head Start.' 'That is probably the most bipartisan letter and issue that we have worked on in years, and it is all to protect and save our Head Start program,' Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D-Silicon Valley), said at a press conference. Head Start also enjoys overwhelming public support across the political spectrum with 74% of Trump voters in support of the program, according to an April survey of more than 1,000 registered voters nationwide. The poll by the firm UpONE Insights was conducted on behalf of First Five Years Fund, which lobbies Congress on early childhood education. California receives $1.5 billion annually for Head Start. The program provides child care, education, medical care, and nutritious meals to more than 80,000 low-income children from birth through age five in the state and employs about 26,000 workers. Due to recent cuts and threats, nearly 1000 Head Start employees in California have already received pink slips, Ahrens said. Two of the members who spoke at the conference — Ahrens and Republican Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas) — had attended Head Start programs themselves. 'I still distinctly remember eating fresh fruit for the first time in my life, because the Head Start Program offers free breakfast,' Ahrens said. In rural districts, like Modoc, Siskiyou, and Lassen Counties, 'Head Start isn't just one option among many. A lot of times, it's the only option,' said Hadwick, who represents these areas. 'I fully believe that we need to cut our budget and cut the waste. I just hope that we don't do it on the backs of low-income, working families and our children.' 'Access to reliable early education supports parents to work or pursue training, and early childhood jobs —many held by women of color — support community well-being and economic mobility,' the legislators wrote in the letter. Already, a shortage of child care access 'is estimated to cost California '$17 billion in lost productivity and economic output' annually, they wrote, and cuts to Head Start would 'exacerbate this loss.' Last month, an early version of President Trump's budget proposed eliminating the Head Start program entirely. That proposal appeared to have been withdrawn in the 'skinny' Presidential budget plan released last week, but the administration has undercut the program repeatedly. In January, an executive order to temporarily freeze all federal financial aid in January left Head Start staff suddenly unable to access the funds they had been promised. In February scores of federal staffers were laid off at the department of Health and Human Services' Office of Head Start in Washington, D.C. And in April, the administration announced that five of the 12 regional offices managing relationships with Head Start grantees would be closed immediately and all employees laid off, including Region 9, which covers four states, including California. This article is part of The Times' early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Siouxland nonprofit teaching the next generation before kindergarten
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – Education is essential for children, and one Siouxland organization is helping kids learn before they're in kindergarten. The Community Action Agency of Siouxland has many programs that have helped families for roughly 50 years, one of them being the Head Start Program for kids from six weeks to four years old. Habitat for Humanity homeowner applications open 'We offer a routine where children come to school and they are served breakfast, we serve families style, working on a lot of self-help skills,' early childhood director Rachel Ostermyer said. 'We have large group times, we have small group times. We also just have work time, which is the children's play, but for them, it's their work.' The program has 29 classrooms with over 500 kids enrolled, and teachers prepare their students for kindergarten through hands-on education. 'When we talk about science, we are planting flowers, especially this week,' Ostermyer said. 'We're planting flowers for the Week of the Young Child. We have science experiments going on, but it's all in the fun of their classroom. So they don't really know that they're learning science as they're learning science.' This week, the Community Action Agency is taking part in Week of the Young Child, celebrating children and their families as well as honoring the professionals who teach the next generation. 'We have a theme for every day this week where parents and children are able to do activities in all of our classrooms,' Ostermyer said. 'According to those themes, we have Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday.' While there are other programs across Siouxland that also handle early childhood education, getting enrolled can be difficult. 'Yes, we are at maximum capacity, and we have a wait list, so it never hurts for families to still apply,' Ostermyer said. Yet programs like those with the Community Action Agency of Siouxland will do their best to ensure children get the best education they can. 'Welcome to Sioux City' sign to be refurbished, relocated by Sioux City couple 'We fill that void by the family, can bring their child up,' Ostermyer said. 'But we also offer a lot of ideas and suggestions to parents every month of things they can do at home with their child, because our ultimate goal is to work with that family so that that child is ready for kindergarten and is successful beyond kindergarten.' The nonprofit also wanted to remind parents that educating their child can be as simple as having a conversation with them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Marion County Head Start celebrates 60 years of giving kids a leg up
FAIRMONT — Grant Town Mayor Charlie Rosic found something surprising after he finished reading to a group of four-year-olds at the Head Start in Rivesville. The kids wanted to go to school on the weekends, one of teachers told him. "After this COVID, that really hurt kids," Rosic said. "I mean, it put them back behind a couple years. Now, they're ready to go back to school." Head Start is celebrating 60 years of putting preschool children on a path to success. President Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society Program" launched the Head Start Program in 1965, as part of the war on poverty. The program's creators intended it to meet the needs of disadvantaged preschool children. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Labor Economics showed that children who attended Head Start had higher incomes and years of education as adults than children who didn't attend. Children who went to programs with higher funding correlated with higher test results. To celebrate, Marion County Head Start invited various mayors from around Marion County to come and read to the children at their centers. Rosic said his sister-in-law, who is the mayor of Grafton, is doing her own reading in Taylor County. Pam Nolan, Head Start family resource coordinator, said Rivesville Head Start has children from Grant Town, Barrackville, Bellview and Fairmont on top of serving children from Rivesville. Rosic from Grant Town was scheduled for Tuesday, March 4 at Rivesville. Nolan said there is a benefit to having mayors come and interact directly with Head Start. "I think awareness that our program is here and serving the children in their communities," Nolan said. "We're trying to give a good base and 'head start' to the children who attend Head Start." According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, West Virginia received over $86 million in funding for its Head Start program services in 2024. Nolan said the state mandates that all four year old children need to be afforded the opportunity to attend a Pre-K program. "So many of the things they need to learn is like, socialization skills," Nolan said. "How do they come into a classroom, how to get in a line, sit with friends, eat a meal, take turns. Being able to function in a social environment is really important." Nolan added that lack of instruction in such skills prior to kindergarten could make it a struggle for the kids who don't receive it, and can detract from their ability to focus on academics. Head Start also offers what are called wrap-around services. Nolan said Head Start offers prenatal services and services to families with newborns to age three through Early Head Start. The program connects parents to resources that can help pay electric bills or help navigate applying to college. Reading to children in early development is especially important. Jane Bott, a teacher with 25 years of experience, said that research shows children who are read to end up learning to read easier and with higher proficiency. Head Start regularly invites an outside member of the community to come read, up to once or twice a month, Bott said. "I think it's important for all children," Bott said. "They need a jump start as early as they can."
