INTRODUCTION : A plan to eliminate all funding for Head Start, a preschool and childcare program that hundreds of thousands of low-income families depend on, has been retracted by the Trump administration.
On May 5, a White House Office of Management and Budget spokesman, who asked not to be identified, told USA TODAY that adjustments to Head Start funding are not included in the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.
Head Start and funding reductions were not included in a budgetary framework that was made public on May 2. Cuts to other federal programs that directly and indirectly support preschools were included in the proposal, though.
At least some of the more than 1,600 Head Start providers and grant recipients in the country were left in limbo for a month after USA TODAY first revealed on April 11 that the White House was considering asking Congress to remove Head Start funding entirely from the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget.
The administration’s change appeared to ease their concerns. The story by USA TODAY was later verified by other news organizations, such as the Associated Press, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
A collection of regional providers and state Head Start groups filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration on April 28 over the purportedly planned cuts.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claimed that the White House was destroying a “crucial program in defiance of Congress.”
Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association, expressed gratitude that Head Start was not “explicitly eliminated” in Trump’s budget proposal in a statement released on May 2.
Head Start families may still be impacted by the White House’s larger initiatives to cut more than $160 billion from the federal budget, she cautioned.
“The proposed deep cuts to non-defense discretionary programs – many of which Head Start families depend on – pose a serious threat to the strength and stability of these essential services,” she added. “We will continue our efforts until there is clear assurance that Head Start and its related services are fully protected.”
Other preschool programs still at risk
Trump’s campaign against government spending seems to have saved Head Start, but as the Republican-controlled Congress struggles over the federal budget this summer, other preschool and after-school programs might be in danger.
A $75 million grant system that provides funds to colleges to support child-care services is on the chopping block in the White House’s funding plan, which has no legal force but will sway congressional Republicans. The “Child Care Access Means Parents in School” initiative has received praise from supporters for assisting low-income parents in their college endeavors.
However, according to the White House’s budget plan, providing child care subsidies to college-age individuals is “unaffordable and duplicative.”
Preschool development grants, which provide funds to states to enhance early childhood education, would also be eliminated under the proposal. In reference to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the White House has referred to the grants as “unproductive funds” and officials said they have been used to “push DEI policies on to toddlers.
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