2 weeks Ago By Adrian Volenik
President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to eliminate all federal funding for Head Start in his 2026 budget proposal, putting a program that has served nearly 40 million children since 1965 at serious risk. According to USA Today , which cites a government official familiar with the plan, the White House’s proposed budget would zero out funding for Head Start, part of a broader effort to shrink the federal government under the Project 2025 policy blueprint. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps families with heating and cooling costs, is also on the chopping block.
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” Critics Warn of Catastrophic Consequences Even so, the news has sparked widespread concern. The National Head Start Association called the proposal to eliminate the program “catastrophic” and warned it could result in more than 1 million parents losing access to affordable child care and preschool, disrupting their ability to work. “Meals, developmental screenings and health care for nearly 800,000 children would disappear,” NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci told USA Today.
“We urge every parent, every American, and every believer in the American dream to reach out to their elected officials to express their outrage about such a proposal.” Trending: Maker of a life-changing asthma device with 12,000+ patients waiting, FDA clearance, and a 67% drop in attacks — now taking final investors at just $1.52 per share.
Regional Offices Shut Down Without Warning The proposal comes on the heels of abrupt closures of at least five regional Head Start offices in Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle. These offices provide crucial oversight and support for local Head Start programs. NHSA said it was informed of the closures early last week and is urging the administration to halt further action until a transition plan is in place.
“Closing these regional Head Start offices could create delays in essential program support and weaken the system that has successfully served millions of children for decades,” the group said in a statement . The staffing cuts, part of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's downsizing plans, left many program directors blindsided.
“None of us saw this coming,” Janice Smith , early childhood services director at the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency in Southeastern Michigan, told the Detroit Free Press . NHSA emphasized that less than 1% of Head Start's annual funding goes to federal staff, including those working in regional offices. Trending: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — invest pre-IPO from $0.
60 per share now . Sen. Murray: ‘Offensive and Just Plain Wrong’ Sen.
Patty Murray (D-WA), vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, slammed the Trump administration's proposal in a statement released Monday. “While families feel the crunch with a worsening child care crisis and much higher daily costs thanks to Trump's tariffs, President Trump wants to eliminate Head Start and kick hundreds of thousands of kids out of the classroom, fire teachers, and make child care and early learning more expensive and less safe,” Murray said in a statement . She added, “This administration believes we cannot afford to help families get preschool or help kids get basic health services, but we can afford trillions of dollars more in tax breaks for billionaires .
It's offensive and just plain wrong.” See Also: It’s no wonder Jeff Bezos holds over $250 million in art — this alternative asset has outpaced the S&P 500 since 1995, delivering an average annual return of 11.4%.
Here’s how everyday investors are getting started. What's at Stake Head Start serves more than 750,000 children nationwide and is especially important in rural areas where other early childhood education options are scarce. The program provides early learning, health care, and family support to low-income families.
NHSA said it will continue working with the administration and Congress to protect the program. “An investment in Head Start is an important investment in our youngest learners, their families, our communities, and our nation,” the organization stated. With Congress holding the final say on the budget, the future of Head Start now rests on political negotiations.
But for the millions of families relying on it, the threat feels immediate and very real. Read Next: Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – with $1,000 you can invest at just $0.26/share! BlackRock is calling 2025 the year of alternative assets.
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