Head Start Center The nation receives nearly $1 billion less federal money compared to this period last year. This week’s fundraising has sparked several kindergarten classrooms for low-income children to close.
The federal government is distributing $1.6 billion for a head start from January 1st to Tuesday, but D-Wash. According to Senator Patty Murray’s office, compared to $2.55 billion issued at the same time last year. Federal Database. Murray said the Trump administration had “slow walk” funds allocated by Congress.
Head Start is the country’s poorest child development program with over half a million people, federally funded, but it travels through private and public schools.
Kindergartens are heavily dependent on the federal money they receive. On Wednesday, a closed-head start classroom for fundraising services to more than 400 children was delayed. More than 70 staff have been fired, and the center’s leaders are not planning to reopen classrooms until they receive federal money, CEO Jorge Castillo said.
Fundraising delays are the latest barriers headstart kindergarten facing under the Trump administration. In brief Freeze The federal grants after President Donald Trump took office meant that Head Start providers were unable to access their accounts. I can’t make a salary that day. Some centers It was temporarily closedcutting off free childcare for low-income families, a jobless day Often, an unpaid day.
Then, this month, federal Head Start employee scores were taken on leave as part of Trump’s efforts to reduce the federal government. According to the National Head Start Association, at least five of the 12 regional offices for Head Start have been closed as part of a layoff at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Advocates warned that layoffs could delay funds to lead start providers to contact federal staff to receive annual grants to run kindergartens. Castillo said Inspire Centers typically received annual notice of funding in February and received the award by May 1st. However, this year the company has not heard from the Ministry of Health and Human Services.
A department spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
“Eliminating local offices slowed down the processing of grants, and certainly they did. Not only is it predictable what Sunnyside is experiencing, but it’s probably possible.” “Parents aren’t raising children today, and those kids are missing out on programming.”
Head Start began 60 years ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war of poverty. The programme has since enjoyed bipartisan support, but some Republicans have highlighted its shortcomings and criticised efforts to increase funding. Project 2025 is a blueprint for policies created by a conservative heritage foundation, calling for the elimination of Head Start entirely.
“When he works to give billionaires like himself more tax credits, Donald Trump is doing everything he can without caring for the families of hundreds of thousands of workers across the country that rely on it,” D-Wash. “We’re beginning to see devastating consequences: Centres are shut down, kids are being kicked out of classrooms, teachers lose jobs, and the entire community is lost.”
Closing the Central Head Start Center in Washington means families will lose access to high-quality, free kindergartens.
“And we’re not talking about children with learning disabilities, disabled or even considered… homeless. This is devastating,” Castillo said.
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AP Education Writer Moriah Balingit contributed to this report.
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