WOONSOCKET, R.I. — As fears of federal cuts to Head Start persist, Governor Dan McKee said he would not follow through with a proposal from his Department of Human Services to eliminate state funding to the preschool program for children from low-income families.

The proposal, which had not been previously reported, initially sparked alarm among child care providers and mayors.

“We were very shocked,” said Mary Varr, the executive director of Woonsocket Head Start, which has 164 seats. “Especially in light of all the challenges federally, it was very disappointing.”

Head Start serves more than 2,000 children in Rhode Island, and is primarily funded with more than $38 million from the federal government. But Rhode Island has supplemented that funding for decades to decrease the waitlist, currently funding 130 seats with a $1.2 million grant from the state general fund.

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 Mayors from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut came together Wednesday morning in Providence to highlight the importance of early education while also urging the federal government to help fund local programs. Click to read more

As the government shutdown drags on, the stakes are high for two overlapping groups – children vulnerable to food insecurity and childcare programs that rely on federal reimbursements. Serving roughly 750,000 low-income children throughout the United States, Head Start emerged in the 1960s as a federally funded program that partners with community groups to offer free school preparedness services to families with infants, toddlers and preschool-age children. Whether they operate out of a center, a home daycare or a school, all Head Start providers agree to serve the kids in their care nutritious meals and snacks every day. The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program regulates nutritional guidelines and reimburses food costs on a monthly basis. Although it isn’t a dollar-for-dollar match, it covers a substantial portion, and the meals are a lifeline for many families – especially with SNAP benefits set to end on Nov. 1 – explained Kristen Greene, vice president of the Head Start operations at East Bay Community Action Program. The Food Program's reimbursements for last month come in at the end of October, but once November rolls around, the agency can’t disburse any additional money because of the government shutdown. Greene and many of her colleagues are unsure what they’ll do if those funds are delayed. “There are a lot of families and children that count on us for food on a daily basis,” she said. “CACFP is essential reimbursement. Without that funding, we don’t have another option. We are in the same place as the families, looking at how to fill that gap.” How do meals at Head Start locations work now? As of May, there were 864 childcare providers operating in Rhode Island, and 31% of them received Child and Adult Care Food Program reimbursements. Allocations vary, but since Head Start serves families that qualify as low income, those providers receive the maximum reimbursement rate. Children’s Friend operates seven Head Start centers around Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls. During the school year, the organization spends about $100,000 per month on food for more than 900 children. “Right now, we’re operating as we usually would, although obviously we are aware of the rumors and uncertainty, and we’re making lots of contingency plans related to the shutdown and the chaos,” said David Caprio, the group’s CEO. Caprio explained that they buy catered meals and plan to submit a reimbursement claim within the first or second week of November, just as they always do. In a typical month, the payment gets sent a few weeks later. Kids who spend the whole day in a Head Start classroom are fed breakfast, a snack and lunch/supper. The federal Food Program asks its participants to follow USDA guidelines for children and infants by prioritizing fruits and vegetables, nutrient-dense foods and whole grains while limiting added sugar and saturated fat. The Woonsocket Head Start Child Development Association Inc. cooks meals in-house for almost 350 children, and in September it spent $38,000 on food. Mary Varr, the organization’s executive director, said the menu rotates, and they try to pick food that kids from their community enjoy. “Nutrition is extremely important, especially in a young child’s brain development,” she noted. A standard breakfast includes cereal, fresh fruit and milk, but sometimes they mix it up with muffins or scrambled eggs. The kids love veggies and dip during snack time, and meatballs are popular during lunch, said Varr. The Woonsocket-based program has a nurse who checks the children's height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and other health metrics. “At the beginning of the year, many of our children are in the overweight or obese category or have what is considered a high BMI,” said Varr, explaining the impact that nutrition and exercise has on kids. “By the end of the year – their BMIs are significantly different. If they were in the overweight category, they have a healthy weight. Even if they were underweight before they came in, our dietitian works with them on a plan for the family, and we help get these children and their families on the right nutritional track.” Some families grappling with food insecurity don’t live close to full-service grocery stores or places where you can buy fresh produce, or they have physical barriers, such as transportation issues. Another common problem – particularly in urban areas with a higher concentration of low-income residents – is when the main options are fast food or convenience stores. A lack of parks or green space can also be a challenge in low-income communities that limits children’s ability to exercise. How will Head Start locations bridge the gap? Separate from CACFP, federal Head Start grants are disbursed annually and help the programs pay for building costs, staffing, food that isn’t covered by CACFP and other expenses. According to the National Head Start Association, grants will expire for 134 programs around the country on Oct. 31, and they won’t receive any additional federal funding until the government reopens. Among them is Comprehensive Community Action Program, which runs three Head Start centers around Cranston, serving 150 children. “We’re trying to access some funds so that we can remain open for as long as we possibly can,” said Christopher Mansfield, CCAP’s president. CCAP started reviewing its finances several months ago when the potential of a government shutdown first arose, and the organization hopes to keep their programs afloat until the shutdown ends. “We’re looking at it week-by-week in terms of how long we think we can last before we might have to make a decision to close our Head Start program temporarily,” said Mansfield. Children’s Friend has also been prepping for the uncertainty. “Can we borrow money against a line of credit? Do we have cash reserves that we can dip into?” said Caprio, listing some of the plans they’ve been discussing. “Kids in our childcare are from birth to age 5, so these are our youngest and most vulnerable. We want to make sure they’re taken care of.” CACFP reimbursements are dispersed through the Rhode Island Department of Education, which Varr said has been in touch with Head Start leaders about trying to shore up funding alternatives. When asked about the impending disruptions, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner suggested that childcare providers could try tapping into some of the state efforts that are redirecting money to support food pantries and SNAP recipients. “Look, I’m not qualified to give you advice specifically on your organization’s finances, but whatever flexibility you can find, whatever help you can appeal to, do it now,” he said. Magaziner added that he thinks it's overwhelmingly likely that there will be bipartisan support to compensate the programs for any lapsed funding once the government reopens. However, with President Donald Trump’s threats to block back pay for furloughed government employees, not everyone is so certain. “We’re not sure if after [Nov.] 1 that any of the dollars we use will be reimbursed,” said Mansfield. “We might not be able to recoup those dollars spent to run our Head Start program while we were still in the shutdown."

The Trump administration’s first four months have been rough on U.S. children. They certainly don’t deserve the punishment. From polarized and destabilizing politics to a global pandemic, increasing environmental pressures from climate change (and more), this cohort of children is coming of age in a particularly difficult moment. 

And yet, we have reached what is perhaps a zenith in Trump-era politics of disinvesting in children and families. The administration’s response to America’s youth crisis has been stunningly consistent: again and again, it has balanced occasional, vague promises to do something constructive to address child care costs or infertility challenges on the one hand with real and stunningly concrete attacks on children’s well-being on the other. 

Perhaps the most direct and comprehensive assault on children is coming through the administration’s war on Head Start. At $12.3 billion last year, it’s the federal government’s largest-single investment in early learning, and it serves almost 800,000 children and families per year. Over its 60 years, Head Start has provided high-quality early learning as well as connecting around 40 million children and their families to comprehensive support services like health and dental care, nutrition and housing assistance. 

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Earlier this month, Head Start celebrated a milestone – its 60th birthday. Throughout 11 presidential administrations and half a dozen congressional reauthorizations, the program’s fundamental goal has remained the same: eradicating poverty in America.

Born out of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, Head Start’s underpinning philosophy is that families who have access to critical services supporting their healthy development will be better equipped to combat poverty. The program supports preschool education, health care, good nutrition, parent engagement and more for working families of low-income households in rural and urban communities, families experiencing homelessness, families with children with special needs and more.

Head Start didn’t get this far without a few critics. But it’s troubling to see these critics repeating the same distortions, particularly over the last decade. Such misrepresentations are even more harmful after the Trump administration placed the program on the budgetary chopping block this year, putting the nearly 800,000 children and families currently enrolled at risk. The program ultimately survived the budget passed by the House this month. But it’s vitally important the misconceptions about Head Start are put to rest.

Head Start is a complex program by design, with lofty strategic ambitions to help ensure all Americans can realize their potential and contribute to society – being fit and healthy, furthering their education, adding their skills to the labor force and just being good neighbors.

As Head Start’s former national program director under the Biden administration, I witnessed parents enrolled in the program go on to become homeowners. Others were able to start businesses. Many more went on to earn college degrees, increasing their opportunities to sustain themselves and their families. These are just a few examples of the 40 million American children and families who have been served by this 60-year-old program.

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Last month in a draft budget, the Trump administration floated the possibility of cutting funding for Head Start. Since then, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before a Senate subcommittee vowing that his department will preserve the program. Mathew Moura, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Teaching Matters, joined Brittany Lewis on "Forbes Newsroom" to discuss. 

WASHINGTON – Head Start preschool programs for low-income U.S. children are scrambling to cope with funding cuts and delays, as they feel the squeeze of President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting drive.

Local administrators and advocates for the program that serves nearly 800,000 children and families say the closure of five U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offices that oversee the program in Chicago, Boston, New York, Seattle and San Francisco has led to delays in processing grant applications.

Adding to the strain, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency released $943 million less in congressionallyapproved funding for distribution through April 15 compared with the previous year, according to congressional Democrats’ most recent estimates.

The delays left hundreds of families searching for costly private care for children through the age of five, according to Head Start association executives in Wisconsin, Illinois and Washington state.

Administrators have sought bank loans or other lines of credit to meet their payrolls, as grant approval deadlines loomed.

Congress appropriated $12.27 billion to the program in the fiscal year ending September 30. That funds 17,711 Head Start centers across the country, according to Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association.

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Standing on a playground usually filled with frolicking children, U.S. Senator Jack Reed visited the Head Start center in Cranston last week to publicly push back against potential federal cuts that would effectively eliminate the early-education program for disadvantaged youngsters.

Reed was surrounded by parents, teachers and state-wide educators as he warned that President Trump’s purported plan to wipe out funding for the decades old, national program would hurt families and children alike. 

“We know that investing in early education – especially in comprehensive, high-quality programs like Head Start – pays off,” Reed said.

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With millions in federal funding at risk, Rhode Island could lose programs that service our most vulnerable children and families, writes Head Start coach 

Head Start and Early Head Start are essential building blocks of Rhode Island’s early education system, serving over 2,300 young children from low-income families across the state — families who could not otherwise afford child care or early education services. 

For 60 years, this proven program has provided high quality educational, health, nutrition, and developmental supports to infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children.

A large body of research finds that children who participate in Early Head Start and Head Start are better prepared for success in school; show better social emotional, language and cognitive development; are more likely to be immunized; are more likely to receive dental checkups; and are more likely to graduate high school and attend college. And these benefits continue on to the next generation, with research showing that the children of Head Start graduates are more likely to finish high school and attend college are less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system.

Put simply, Head Start works. It is a wonderful program that we should all be proud of. It provides a hand-up to struggling families and gives our state’s youngest and most vulnerable learners the Head Start they need to succeed in school and life. 

Unfortunately, a recently leaked Trump administration budget memo calls for the complete elimination of Head Start funding. This proposed cut, if adopted by Congress, would impact 750,000 children across the country who are benefiting from Head Start, according to the National Head Start Association. Without Head Start, these children will fall behind where they need to be to succeed in school, and families will be left without a stable and reliable source of child care. This will lead many to forgo working to stay at home to care for their children, hurting parents’ economic prospects, and impacting employers. Here in Rhode Island, we stand to lose $38 million in federal funding for our Head Start and Early Head Start programs who serve our most vulnerable children and families, including young children experiencing homelessness or in foster care. Head Start is also a critical part of our state’s home visiting system, child care system, and high-quality pre-K system, with 40 percent of the Rhode Island‘s pre-K classrooms operated by Head Start agencies.

Here in Rhode Island, we stand to lose $38 million in federal funding for our Head Start and Early Head Start programs who serve our most vulnerable children and families, including young children experiencing homelessness or in foster care. Head Start is also Head Start and Early Head Start are essential building blocks of Rhode Island’s early education system, serving over 2,300 young children from low-income families across the state — families who could not otherwise afford child care or early education services. For 60 years, this proven program has provided high quality educational, health, nutrition, and developmental supports to infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. A large body of research finds that children who participate in Early Head Start and Head Start are better prepared for success in school; show better social emotional, language and cognitive development; are more likely to be immunized; are more likely to receive dental checkups; and are more likely to graduate high school and attend college. And these benefits continue on to the next generation, with research showing that the children of Head Start graduates are more likely to finish high school and attend college are less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system. 

It is not an exaggeration to say that the complete defunding of Head Start would be devastating to vulnerable children and families in Rhode Island and across the nation. It is hard to understand the logic of this proposal, especially when Head Start pays such strong dividends in the form of better lifetime educational and health outcomes for kids and families who participate in the program.

One research study found that when disadvantaged children receive high-quality educational programming from birth to age 5, like Early Head Start and Head Start, the return on investment can be up to 13 percent annually. That’s an investment we should be doubling down on, not eliminating.

I could share more research and statistics on the benefits of Head Start, but I know firsthand just how powerful this wonderful, empowering program can be. Seventeen years ago, I began my professional journey with Early Head Start as a teacher. The job gave me insight into what quality care and early education really look like.

Years later, I became a mother and enrolling my son in Head Start was one of the best decisions I made. Because of what I experienced as an Early Head Start teacher, I had a unique perspective and knew he’d be in good hands.

Thanks to my background as a Head Start educator, I was able to recognize the early signs that my son had a learning disorder. Because of the program’s strong support systems, I was able to quickly get him a learning disability assessment and work with his teachers to provide the help he needed early on. Thanks to that early detection and support, my son is now thriving.

Head Start has been a full-circle journey for me and my family. It helped me grow as a student, a mother, an educator, and now as a leader of other Head Start teachers. Most importantly, it gave my son the tools to succeed.

Head Start doesn’t just change lives, it builds futures. I am living proof of that.

For the future success of hundreds of thousands of kids and families, just like mine, across the country, it is critical that Congress maintain full funding for Head Start.

Mariela Clavijo is an educational coach at Comprehensive Community Action Program’s Head Start program in Cranston, R.I.