The federal Head Start program has been a lifesaver for me since I was a toddler. I count my lucky stars that my parents were able to get me into Head Start for early childhood education decades ago. I count myself even more fortunate to have it for my own child now.
But I worry that could all change if the Trump administration gets its way.
Studies have shown that Head Start children have better social skills and impulse control. They make great strides in math, language, cognitive development, and how to learn.
Their health and dental outcomes are also much better than low-income children who don’t have access to the program. And children in Early Head Start are more likely to have access to immunizations and services for children with disabilities.
The positive effects of these interventions last for decades.
Children who received Head Start have significantly better education, employment, health, and even parenting outcomes than other disadvantaged children who did not attend Head Start programs. They’re more likely to finish high school and go to college, and significantly less likely to become teen parents or be involved in the criminal justice system.
Head Start isn’t just pre-K. It also provides anti-poverty wraparound services, such as access to employment, food and housing assistance, and pediatric health care. Parents whose children are learning and growing in Head Start can participate in the workplace without worrying about unaffordable child care.
The results? A win-win-win for parents, kids, and taxpayers. Research shows that for every $1 invested in Head Start, the economy receives returns ranging from $7 to $16. The program serves 750,000 families.
Head Start has an illustrious 60-year history of providing poor and low-income children and their families with critical support. But it remains deeply underfunded, so only a fraction of eligible families can access it. I was waitlisted when I tried to enroll my daughter in our county and had to travel to another county with more available slots.
Once we were accepted into the program, I had an early childhood educator who would even come to our house to work with my daughter and me. She was a lifesaver for me as a single parent. I can’t even express how much it helped to have someone to talk to about my child’s development.
This in-home educator also told me about an open, volunteer policy position at the county’s Head Start office. I applied and got the position. From there, I quickly became the elected Policy Council Chair and then a community representative for the Northeastern Michigan Community Service Agency, which coordinated our Early Head Start programs in our area.
By any measure, the Head Start program is a stunning success for children, families, and communities.
But unfortunately, the Trump administration has said it wants to eliminate Head Start. During the fall 2025 government shutdown, the administration closed Head Start facilities in at least 12 states, delayed and stopped funding, and eliminated critical staff. Although some staff have since been rehired, the damage is long-lasting.
Head Start has six decades of bipartisan support and substantial evidence of both short- and long-term returns. The administration’s efforts to defund the program, cut staff, and add red tape have posed a profound structural threat. Advocacy groups and the ACLU have filed a suit against the administration, arguing that its attacks on the program violate the congressional mandate to fund Head Start.
President Trump’s federal budget proposal for next year flat-funds Head Start even as it was damaged in 2025 and need has risen. That’s essentially a cut.
This program is so crucial to the social, health, and economic well-being of families, communities, and the nation that we must stop the threats and fully fund the program instead. My daughter and I are living proof of its success.
