Latest news with #OfficeofHeadStart
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘They need us.' What would be the impact of Head Start cuts in Pierce County?
A 3-year-old boy with curly brown hair is whipping up pizza on a bright, multi-colored carpet in the corner. Jace decides that the food is cold but doesn't seem to mind. His teacher, Dairi Ray, holds out an empty hand, and Jace lunges forward for a big bite of his imaginary creation: 'Ahhm!' Jace was one of several toddlers Friday playing make believe, calculating animal shapes, coloring or pushing around a tiny bike in an Early Head Start classroom inside the Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center in Tacoma, just outside the Hilltop neighborhood. 'Some of them just need the love sometimes,' Ray said. 'To me, these kids are my kids.' The federally funded Head Start program is an important safety net for low-income and homeless families with children up to 5 years old. Established in 1965, it serves at least hundreds of children in Pierce County, 15,000 across the state and more than 750,000 nationwide for free. The program promotes school readiness, provides meals and supplies, such as diapers and formula, and offers health screenings and parental support. Ayesha Williams' 2-year-old son is also in Early Head Start, and her three older children passed through the program. Williams and her husband work, and she's in school to be an ultrasound technician, meaning it would be a difficult juggling act without the day-long care that's offered Monday through Friday. 'Honestly, I don't know where we would be without them,' Williams said. Under President Donald Trump's administration, the child-care and preschool-education initiative's future has appeared uncertain. On May 5, USA Today reported that, despite the Trump administration's proposed elimination of all financial support, there were no changes to Head Start's funding in the White House's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Even so, there are concerns that the administration is trying to illegally dismantle the program. Head Start advocates sued the administration late last month in federal court in Washington, alleging 'a series of unrelenting attacks' on program providers. The lawsuit, whose plaintiffs include Washington state's Head Start association, noted that the federal government disbursed nearly $1 billion less in spending for the program over a three-month period this year compared to in 2024. The complaint also criticized a federal ban on diversity, equity and inclusion; a temporary sweeping freeze on federal funding in January that forced several providers to close indefinitely; and the abrupt shutdown last month of half of all Office of Head Start locations in the United States, including the four-state Region 10 Office in Seattle, which manages grant funding and oversees local agencies providing program services. As a result of office closures and layoffs, Head Start agencies in Washington and 22 other states faced 'unprecedented confusion that threatened their ability to operate and, indeed, their very existence,' the lawsuit said. On Friday, the Senate Democratic caucus sent an open letter to the public, warning that Republicans were trying to cut funding for important programs such as Head Start, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington. The state received more than $189 million from the program in fiscal year 2024, her office said. The Trump administration had proposed not funding Head Start in a draft budget document, calling the program's elimination consistent with its goals to give states and parents control of education, the Associated Press reported last month. A message left by The News Tribune for the U.S. Department Health and Human Services, which administers Head Start, was not returned. Federal grants are awarded to various groups to operate the program, including public agencies, private nonprofits and for-profits, schools and tribal governments. Head Start is provided at 33 sites in Pierce County, largely at schools, according to HHS data. Most of the sites are in Tacoma. Tacoma Public Schools operates slightly more than half of all sites, federal data shows. It was awarded a grant in 2019 to serve 400 low-income students within the district's boundaries for five years, according to TPS' 2021-22 annual report on the program. District spokesperson Kathryn McCarthy said last week that TPS currently serves the same number of Head Start students and didn't anticipate that the figure would change next year. Asked whether TPS held any concerns about future funding or staffing, McCarthy said only that the district understood that the Trump administration's budget proposal did not include any cuts. 'Access to high-quality early learning is critical to children in our community,' she said. 'We have continued our programming and planning for fall 2025 as normal.' Puget Sound Educational Service District operates in Pierce and King counties as one of nine regional educational agencies in the state. It subcontracts with other Head Start sites in Pierce County, including at the Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center, federal data shows. PSESD is one of many Head Start funding grantees that gets its dollars from the Region 10 Office. About 95% of the federal funding it receives directly supports families and more than 1,200 children in Early Head Start or Head Start programs between Pierce and King counties, according to Decca Calloway, PSESD's executive director of Early Learning. Calloway did not immediately have information about how many children were served specifically in Pierce County. There are a dozen children enrolled for Early Head Start, which is geared toward children under 3, at the Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center, according to the center's early learning director, Amalia Perez. Many more students at the location participate in the state-funded Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, which Calloway said couldn't simply absorb Head Start children if the federal program disappeared. Brandi Stratton, 46, has taught Head Start for seven years and at the center for 17 altogether. She works with the infant group. In her role, she said, she develops a personal relationship with parents, calling or texting regularly and checking in if their child hasn't been to class in a while, just to make sure everything is OK. A new family is beginning the program next week, according to Stratton. The mother, whose child is 6 weeks old, says she must return to work to make money. 'They need us,' Stratton said. On May 5, PSESD's leaders attended a presentation hosted by the liberal policy group, the Center for American Progress, about federal actions affecting Head Start. It was discussed that program providers across the country were seeing funds slow-walked or grants not approved on time. 'What was most insightful is that we're not alone on this journey,' Calloway said in an interview. A Head Start agency in Sunnyside, a city in south-central Washington, closed its doors in April after not receiving confirmation or updates about the status of renewed funding for weeks, affecting more than 400 children and 70 jobs, according to the federal lawsuit against the Trump administration. While PSESD hasn't had any issues being able to draw down on funding, Calloway said she lives with the fear that the Trump administration could continue to slow down delivering funds or change its mind about not enacting cuts to Head Start in its final budget. Stratton was also worried. 'It's scary,' she said. 'It's not fair to the family and these kids.' If its federal funding reimbursements were delayed, PSESD would have to stop services for more than 1,000 children, according to Calloway, at a time when she said most traditional child care in Pierce and King counties is full with wait lists of eight or nine months. There would also be staffing cuts and funds redirected from much-needed expenses such as classroom air conditioning and playgrounds. 'The other thing is, children can immediately be in danger,' she said, noting that kids experiencing homelessness could be on the street all day long. While there were concerns about what it could be facing, PSESD already has experienced effects of the Trump administration's agenda, according to Calloway. The agency has been consistently peppered with questions about what it is doing with the money it receives, despite spelling it out in grant applications; seen a decline in enrollment and attendance as documented families fear their children could be wrongly ensnared in immigration sweeps; and forced to calculate how to continue serving a diverse population without risking funds for violating the DEI ban, she said. Trump signed an executive order in January that terminated all related DEI activities from the federal government, including programs, grants, contracts and performance requirements, arguing that DEI was divisive and discriminatory. Running afoul of the ban could threaten funding, forcing local governments, schools and others to navigate what they consider broad and vague new standards. For example, Pierce County joined a lawsuit against the federal government earlier this month for tying critical homelessness contracts to requirements that grant funds not be used to promote DEI. PSESD and other Head Start providers serve the most vulnerable people in their communities by design. At least 10% of the children served in Early Head Start or Head Start by PSESD have a diagnosed delay or disability, which is a percentage mandated by the federal government, according to Calloway. The agency serves significant numbers of children from other marginalized communities, including impoverished families, immigrants and refugees, and non-English-first speakers. PSESD also seeks to address specific populations identified by data as being in need, but it's been difficult for the agency to declare that it wants its services to be inclusive and still feel secure about not jeopardizing its grant funding. 'We feel like we run the risk every day,' Calloway said. As a result, deciphering the way forward is tricky. Calloway framed the struggle as such: PSESD doesn't want to over-correct for the purposes of compliance and then not be able to serve kids who most need the program, but the agency also must do enough to comply or it could ultimately find itself not being able to serve the children anyway. 'If I'm being really honest with you, we don't know what we need to do,' she said. 'Damned if you do, damned if you don't.' In the Spotlight is a News Tribune series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email newstips@
Business Insider
29-04-2025
- General
- Business Insider
I was a low-income student who attended Head Start. I'm now an educator with a master's degree and owe all my success to the federal program.
As a child, I attended Head Start, a federally funded program for low-income families. Since it began as an eight-week project in 1965, Head Start has served more than 30 million children. In April, five of the Office of Head Start regional offices — in Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle — were shuttered as part of the cuts to the US Department of Health and Human Services. As someone who attended Head Start, the early-childhood learning experience brought structure to my life for the first time and allowed me to learn and play in a safe and clean environment. I'm now an educator with a policy background, nearly a decade of experience on education and general welfare issues, and my master's degree. I believe my participation in Head Start helped make these opportunities possible for me. Head Start taught me valuable skills at a young age I still have some visceral memories from my time at Head Start. I remember having a symbol assigned to my nametag, which makes sense since most of us, children ages 3 to 5, were too young to know how to read. My older brother was the wagon, so I wanted to be that, too. There were lots of toys. I vividly remember the sand table. By playing, we built motor skills, practiced communication, and gained knowledge with every action. The classroom offered me a fun place to play, learn, and grow. Though I had older siblings, Head Start allowed me to play with my peers and socialize in a supportive environment. By meeting new friends and learning how to interact with people outside my family, I gained new skills and experiences, which I needed before heading to kindergarten. The program set me up for success My early years prepared me for the rest of my life. Today, I have a deep love for education. I work as an educator. I've taught in higher education, early childhood education, and K-12. I also worked as a Legislative Director for the New York City Council on policy issues related to education and poverty. Though I was born into poverty, I've been able to move into a middle-class life through educational opportunities. I'm forever grateful for my experiences at Head Start. My concern is that children today won't have access to the same opportunities that I had, which makes escaping poverty even harder. Every child deserves free, safe, and supportive opportunities to learn. The building blocks of learning helped me become the person, writer, and educator I am today.
Business Insider
29-04-2025
- General
- Business Insider
I was a low-income student who attended Head Start. I'm now an educator with a master's degree and owe all my success to the federal program.
When I was a kid, I joined the Head Start program as a low-income student. The federally funded program offered me a safe place to learn and socialize. I'm forever grateful for my time in Head Start. Growing up in rural Michigan offered me so many meaningful experiences, but my childhood was also intertwined with poverty. As a child, I attended Head Start, a federally funded program for low-income families. Since it began as an eight-week project in 1965, Head Start has served more than 30 million children. In April, five of the Office of Head Start regional offices — in Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle — were shuttered as part of the cuts to the US Department of Health and Human Services. As someone who attended Head Start, the early-childhood learning experience brought structure to my life for the first time and allowed me to learn and play in a safe and clean environment. I'm now an educator with a policy background, nearly a decade of experience on education and general welfare issues, and my master's degree. I believe my participation in Head Start helped make these opportunities possible for me. Head Start taught me valuable skills at a young age I still have some visceral memories from my time at Head Start. I remember having a symbol assigned to my nametag, which makes sense since most of us, children ages 3 to 5, were too young to know how to read. My older brother was the wagon, so I wanted to be that, too. There were lots of toys. I vividly remember the sand table. By playing, we built motor skills, practiced communication, and gained knowledge with every action. The classroom offered me a fun place to play, learn, and grow. Though I had older siblings, Head Start allowed me to play with my peers and socialize in a supportive environment. By meeting new friends and learning how to interact with people outside my family, I gained new skills and experiences, which I needed before heading to kindergarten. The program set me up for success My early years prepared me for the rest of my life. Today, I have a deep love for education. I work as an educator. I've taught in higher education, early childhood education, and K-12. I also worked as a Legislative Director for the New York City Council on policy issues related to education and poverty. Though I was born into poverty, I've been able to move into a middle-class life through educational opportunities. I'm forever grateful for my experiences at Head Start. My concern is that children today won't have access to the same opportunities that I had, which makes escaping poverty even harder. Every child deserves free, safe, and supportive opportunities to learn. The building blocks of learning helped me become the person, writer, and educator I am today. Children, especially poor kids like me, deserve the opportunity to bloom.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Head Start sues Trump administration over DEI confusion, grant freezes to child care program
Apr. 28—The Washington office representing federal Head Start child care for families in poverty is suing Trump administration officials responsible for the program in the wake of sporadic grant freezes and threats to end it entirely. The 60-year-old federal program subsidizes child care for families below the poverty line, serving 800,000 infants to 4-year-olds around the nation, including 15,000 in child care centers in Washington. Washington's office representing Head Start is suing alongside the Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin offices, along with lobbying groups from Oregon and Oakland. They're suing the Trump administration, namely Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Andrew Gradison, Tara Hooban and their respective agencies: the Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Children and Families , and the Office of Head Start. Head Start groups are represented by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, imploring judicial interference to stop what they allege is illegal overreach of the Trump administration to dismantle Head Start, a congressionally established program. The 90-page complaint cites President Donald Trump's budget proposal to eliminate Head Start completely by October, on top of his administration's actions to dismantle the program thus far. Those include freezing grant funds during Trump's first week in office and shuttering its regional office in Seattle, which laid off six employees at the start of April. Across the nation, the Trump administration closed offices in 22 other states, nearly half of the program's administrative offices. The confusion and uncertainty brewed by grant freezes and fewer support staff to run these programs resulted in the weeklong closure of a day care facility in Sunnyside. The Central Washington preschool serves 400 kids and employs 70 staff. "Our goal is to make sure there's no more Sunnysides across the country," said Joel Ryan, executive director of Head Start in Washington. The lawsuit alleges diversity, equity and inclusion programing is the main issue; budget materials from the Trump Administration describe Head Start as a program that "uses a 'radical' curriculum and gives preference to illegal immigrants" and "criticizes it for diversity, equity and inclusion programming and the use of resources that encourage toddlers to welcome children and families with different sexual orientations," the lawsuit reads, quoting from Trump administration budget materials. Federal agencies never provided any guidance on what constitutes DEI, Ryan said, and how they can remove these elements from their services while also targeting the "diverse needs of the population served," as is mandated in the Head Start Act. "The programs have to serve 10% kids with disabilities, but then you're not allowed to do inclusion. What does that mean? You're not allowed to meet their needs? You're not allowed to train teachers to meet their needs? You have to segregate them?" said Jennesa Calvo-Friedman, an attorney with the ACLU who is representing the plaintiffs in the suit. A drafted version of the complaint defends Head Start programs as beneficial to bridging economic and racial disparities in child care access. Created in 1965 by Congress as a civil rights-era effort, Head Start seeks to address poverty-related issues at the root: providing child care to working families and giving poor kids access to preschool education. "Head Start's educational programming has generated documented improvements in the health, educational outcomes, and financial prospects of participating children and families," the complaint reads. "For parents and caregivers — especially mothers, who carry a disproportionate share of child care responsibilities, access to Head Start enables them to provide for their families. Without Head Start, many women, and especially women of color, would not be able to work or go to school." More than 75% of Head Start's children are from families of color, 15% have a disability and 30% live in rural areas the complaint describes as "child care deserts." "We live in a much more diverse country, and if the Head Start program is going to provide an opportunity for all kids, the services are going to be slightly different for each family," Ryan said. "It's individualized, and we're saying that's what you should do in order to make sure our kids get what they need." Elena Perry's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump administration cuts to Head Start programs in proposed budget
The Brief A proposed budget by the Trump administration would cut funding for Head Start programs. Many were shocked to see funding eliminated from the program when a draft budget by the Trump administration was leaked. There are more than 1,200 Head Start programs across Texas and 50,000 parents in the state rely on Head Start childcare to be able to work or attend college. WASHINGTON D.C. - A proposed budget by the Trump administration would cut funding for Head Start programs. Experts say that would have a negative ripple effect across the country and here in Texas on everything from child health and development, to jobs. There are more than 1,200 Head Start programs across Texas and 50,000 parents in the state rely on Head Start childcare to be able to work or attend college. Due to rapid brain development, the first five years of a child's life will shape the remainder of his or her life in profound ways. Kim Kofron is the director of early childhood education for Children at Risk. A non-profit organization focused on safety, health and economic security for Texas children. She says the return on investment in early childhood education is profound. It's why many were shocked to see funding eliminated from the program when a draft budget by the Trump administration was leaked. What they're saying "If we pull funding from Head Start, we are not trimming the fat, but we are cutting into the bone of our future," said Kofron. "It reduces crime, it improves health options and health outcomes, strengthens families and fuels our economy." Dr. Deborah Bergeron says during her time working with the first Trump administration, there was increased funding for a head-start. "I want to first lead with saying I actually led the Office of Head Start for President Trump's first term and during that time, I experienced nothing but full support," said Bergeron. Dr. Bergeron says the program that also provides for mental and oral health is much more than an educational program. "The response during COVID was just amazing. We were able to support programs, programs stayed open, children continued to eat healthful food and receive support services," said Bergeron. The proposed cuts would not just impact children. Head Start programs in Texas employ 19,000 childhood educators. "When they enter Head Start, yes, their parents are experiencing poverty. They may be experiencing homelessness or other issues. But Head Start gives them the foundation to lift up and out of that situation. So ultimately, those children are no longer reliant on government services. This is exactly in line with the priorities of this administration," said Bergeron. Local perspective Kriston Jackson-Jones is with a child care group in Dallas. "What we know is what we know. The early childhood workforce is already in crisis in Texas and nationally. Cutting Head Start will turn the shortage into a collapse," said Jackson-Jones. "Simply put, this cut would add to unemployment and shrink the Texas economy." The Source Information in this article was provided by
