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Head Start, Early Head Start, and the CACFP meals served to children in these programs need your help

  • Writer: Samantha Marshall
    Samantha Marshall
  • Apr 22
  • 3 min read

Updated 4/22/2025: On Friday, April 18th, the National Head Start Association (NHSA) hosted a meeting with over 7,000 individuals in attendance or watching live-stream on YouTube to update the Head Start community about what is happening and to ensure we all know that it is time to fight and tell the Presidential Administration and Congress to keep their hands off of Head Start. In addition to the original USA Today article that caught the nation's attention, on April 16th, the Washington Post also published an article stating that the White House's budget proposal, so far, would eliminate funding for Head Start and Early Head Start.


Take action:


Things to keep in mind as we all rally to protect Head Start and Early Head Start:

  • The President's budget has not yet been formally released; what we know is based on internal proposals.

  • The President's budget is a proposal to Congress about what the President believes should be funded or defunded. Congress must still come together and agree on the budget for the federal government.

  • The alarm, at this point, is based on the specific call-out in the proposed budget, coupled with the sudden and unexplained closure of the 5 regional offices and other issues with the Payment Management System.

  • Keep working with everyone on Capitol Hill.

  • Don't isolate the Republicans. Head Start is traditionally a bipartisan issue, and as someone put in the chat "Head Start is Bigger than Politics."

  • These advocacy efforts are not a sprint; be prepared for the long haul.

  • Unsure of when the President's budget will be formally introduced, 3 different calls NHSA staff were on stated three different months, ranging from May to August. Traditionally, the President's budget is formally released in May.

  • Know that this is NOT a done deal, and contacting your Members of Congress makes a huge difference.

Original Blog Post on 4/14/2025:

Over the weekend, a news article published in USA Today states that the presidential administration is "considering a budget proposal that would eliminate funding for Head Start" for fiscal year 2026. The President's budget is a first step in the federal budget process. The President's budget showcases the administration's priorities and is akin to a list of all of the things/programs they desire to be funded, defunded, or cut. Congress makes the decision about what to fund in the President's budget, and there are many steps and negotiations in between.


There is time to share the importance of these programs with your Members of Congress. The President's budget proposal has not yet been published - it's time to take action now. Let's do it now so when they get the full proposal from the President, we don't have to change minds at that point.


However, given the experiences of the Head Start community to date: Payment Management System issues, sudden and immediate closure of regional Head Start offices, and no Head Start Director, the threat of eliminating funding or drastically cutting funding is real.


Take action to tell your Members of Congress to protect Head Start and Early Head Start. There are a few action centers to choose from:


Resources:

Don't miss your chance to take a deep dive into infant and toddler feeding in the CACFP! Join us at our virtual summit in May! Learn more and register here.


Our call for presentation proposals closes on April 30th! Don't miss your chance to make a difference in the meals served and programs operated in our CACFP Community! Submit your proposal to share your resources or expertise here.



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