1 week Ago By Mariah Ellis
DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Durham County commissioners voiced concerns Monday night as the board came together to sign a letter urging members of Congress to protect Head Start funding.
It’s a program that currently supports more than 490 children across Durham County.“The federal government is literally considering ending this program,” said Commissioner Wendy Jacobs. “It is data driven, [it’s] the most effective way for us to help children to be able to learn and start school ready to learn .
.. This is how we give everyone in our country a fair chance to succeed in life.
”The Durham County Board of Commissioners said it’s a response to the Trump administration's recently proposed cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, including eliminating funding for Head Start for the 2026 fiscal year.The National Head Start Association said the child development program has helped nearly 40 million children nationwide since its start six decades ago. Cutting the program wouldn’t just impact hundreds within Durham County, but it would also impact learning for more than half a million children and care for their families across 50 states.
“As a kid, I went to Head Start, myself. I grew up in poverty and am one of 18 children, and so I know the impact that Head Start has had on my life,” said Terry David, President of the North Carolina Head Start Association and Head Start Director and CEO of Families & Communities Rising, Inc. “Now, I have the opportunity to serve those same families where I once was.
”David joined alongside Durham County Early Child Coordinator Meytal Barak to discuss the program’s importance during the Monday meeting. Board members requested the opportunity to submit a letter and requested staff to prepare a letter reflecting the local impact.“90% of brain development happens from birth to age five, so it’s so important that children are in safe and nurturing environments early on,” David said.
After first learning about the proposed cuts, David added, “It’s a disappointment because I know the children we serve. Many of the children that we serve are dealing with homelessness, they may not have access to nutritious meals outside of our services, there’s comprehensive screenings for health and wellness, mental health, and things of that sort.”“This is a program that supports our most vulnerable families in our community, and as we well know 42% of children in Durham are growing in low socio-economic status families," Barak said.
"These are the families that are out in the workforce, these are the families that need the support for childcare, and these are the families that need the support of the community.”Barak said it’s not just about childcare, but she said services that support whole child development will be at risk if funding is eliminated.“Head Start is one of our key partners in our Durham PreK program, which is our universal high-quality Pre-K program that is fully supported by the county," said Barak.
"Being a foundational partner, we immediately started collaborating and thinking about ways to advocate for this.”According to NHSA, North Carolina Head Start employs more than 5,600 staff and has more than 1,200 Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms across the state. The program states children with the additional support are more likely to complete high school, enroll in and complete college, and are less likely to be arrested, enter foster care, and experience poor health.
With the help of county commissioners, Barak said they’re advocating support for the program, bringing families together, and bringing elected officials into classrooms so they can see the program’s impact first-hand.“As we support and advocate for families, this is just an important time," David said. "So much is happening, and so fast, and there’s a lot of work to do to make sure we serve the most vulnerable children and families, and we want to continue to do that great work.
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