Federal funding delays are putting thousands of Head Start childcare programs at risk of closure, leaving low-income families without crucial support services.
Programs serving 20,000 children have faced funding delays since the Trump administration announced (and then announced rescinding) a temporary freeze on federal aid last week. Programs providing childcare and preschool education to low-income children have been unable to access previously approved federal funding, putting some programs at risk of having to close their doors in the coming days.
The programs say they haven’t been able to draw down the funds to pay for expenses, like payroll and utilities, since a federal funding freeze was announced in the second week of July. Still, more than 45 programs serving 20,000 children in 23 states have faced funding delays, according to a survey. Nationally, Head Start has touted funding to remain stable. However, Unable to pay staff, several programs have had to temporarily shut down, and others are at risk in the coming days, the group said. And it's part of a broader pattern that has seen funding for social safety net programs become increasingly unpredictable under the Trump administration. “While it remains unclear why this delay is happening, it must be resolved immediately or thousands of families and their children will be at risk of losing the critical early care and educational services they depend on to work, go to school, and develop,” Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association, said in a statement. The Administration for Children and Families, which oversees Head Start funding and is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the funding delays.In Washington state, one program in the rural Olympic Peninsula that serves 100 children, 12% of whom are homeless, has been unable to access their funding to pay their bills since last week. That program continues to get a message saying the funds are “pending approval,” said Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington State Association of Head Start and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program. “They’re getting really concerned about whether they will be able to pay their bills. Will they be able to pay their staff, and if it continues, will they be able to offer childcare to these low-income kids and their support for their family?” said Ryan. Ryan said the funding issues aren’t affecting all programs in his state. Instead, it's more like a rolling blackout, creating uncertainty from one day to the next among childcare providers over whether they will be able to make payroll that week or cover their rent or other expenses. He said the vast majority of programs in Washington receive nearly all of their funding from federal grants and have no alternative funding sources to which they can turn. Last week, several programs in Washington sent notices to families that they might have to close their doors, but so far all the state’s programs have been able to stay open. Ryan said he spoke to one program that has been waiting since last Wednesday for their funding to be made available so they can make payroll due on Friday. In Illinois, at least four Head Start programs have been unable to access their funding, said Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, executive director at the Illinois Head Start Association. Of those programs, two are at risk of having to shut their doors in the coming days if the issue isn't resolved. 'This is terrible, these families are the most at risk, the most vulnerable across across our state, and they depend on us for many services,' said Morrison-Frichtl.'For some of our children, we meet two-thirds of their nutritional needs each day. Families depend on us to get to their job, to have their child in a safe, educational, caring place.' Even if the funding is resolved, Ryan says the experience has rattled the early childhood education community about what the fate of their programs could be in the longer term. “There’s a lot of concern that this is the beginning and not the end of issues in the Trump administration,” he said
HEAD START CHILDCARE FUNDING EDUCATION SOCIAL SERVICES
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Head Start Preschools Face Funding Delays, Risk ClosureSome Head Start preschools across the US are facing temporary closures due to ongoing issues accessing their federal funding. A website outage initially reported last week has caused significant payment delays, impacting dozens of centers. The National Head Start Association reports 17 centers in Michigan and Wisconsin have already shut down, with others considering closure if the funding issue isn't resolved soon. While the White House has clarified that the recent directive to halt federal grants was not intended to affect Head Start, the disruption continues to cause widespread concern.
Read more »
Head Start Preschools Face Closure Threat Over Funding DelaysThousands of Head Start preschools across the country are at risk of closing due to ongoing issues accessing their federal funding. The problem, which surfaced last week, has caused significant disruptions for families and educators, forcing many to scramble for alternative childcare arrangements.
Read more »
Head Start Programs Face Funding Delays, Risk of ClosureDozens of Head Start programs across the US are grappling with funding delays, leaving some at risk of shutting down. This issue stems from a federal funding freeze initiated in the early days of the Trump administration, despite being quickly rescinded. The situation has caused widespread uncertainty and hardship for both families and staff, highlighting the fragility of funding for essential early childhood education programs.
Read more »
Head Start Programs Face Funding Delays, Risk ClosureDozens of Head Start programs providing childcare and preschool education to low-income children are experiencing funding delays, putting some at risk of closure. The National Head Start Association reports that over 45 programs in 23 states serving 20,000 children have been unable to access previously approved federal funds since a freeze initiated in the second week of the Trump administration. While the White House and a judge have stated that Head Start programs shouldn't have been affected by the freeze, the funding disruptions are creating significant uncertainty and hardship for families and staff.
Read more »
Head Start Funding Delays Threaten Thousands of Children's Early EducationFederal funding delays for Head Start programs serving low-income children are causing financial strain and threatening program closures nationwide. The delays, stemming from a temporary freeze announced by the Trump administration, have left childcare providers scrambling to pay staff and cover essential expenses.
Read more »
Head Start Programs Face Funding Delays, Threatening Childcare AccessThousands of children enrolled in Head Start programs across the country are facing a childcare crisis due to unexplained federal funding delays. The programs, which serve low-income families, haven't been able to access approved funds, putting them at risk of closure. Some programs have already been forced to temporarily shut down, while others are struggling to make payroll and cover essential expenses. The National Head Start Association is calling for immediate action to resolve the funding issues, warning that thousands of families could lose access to critical early care and education services.
Read more »