Trump proposes budget cuts to Head Start program and heating aid assistance
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The Trump White House is pondering a move to scrap funding for two critical federal programs, Head Start and LIHEAP, that offer assistance to millions of low-income families with early childhood education and heating their homes.
A leaked budget blueprint suggests that President Donald Trump plans to axe support for Head Start, which serves around 800,000 kids, and LIHEAP, which helps about 6 million households pay their energy bills. Part of this proposed plan seeks to slash nearly a third of the discretionary federal health budget, dismantle dozens of programs, and dramatically shrink health agencies.
Critics argue that the draft budget plan is cold-hearted, as it fails to consider the consequences for the people who benefit from these programs. "They're not thinking about the people who will be hurt," said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. "To them, it's a numbers game. They aren't recognizing the enormity of the impact on ordinary people."
Although the President doesn't hold the power to defund these programs independently, the ultimate decision lies with Congress, which often dismisses a president's budget recommendations. Nevertheless, both programs have faced recent challenges from the HHS department that administers them.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently dismissed LIHEAP staff members, who oversaw federal funding distribution to state agencies and provided assistance. He also shut down at least five regional offices that provided guidance to Head Start programs. These layoffs have left state departments and Head Start centers in a bind, searching for personnel who can help them access remaining federal funds for this fiscal year.
Confusing notices from an email address labeled as , launched by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, are being sent to some Head Start centers, asking them to justify their need for funding and outline their spending plans.
Allie McCandless, a spokesperson from the White House Office of Management and Budget, stated that no final funding decisions have been solidified. CNN also reached out to HHS for comment, awaiting a response.
Additional Details:
- Head Start, 59 years old and serving the lowest-income families in the US, connects young children from birth to age 5 with essential services, such as education, nutrition, health care, mental health services, and parental support. Over 250,000 people are employed in the nearly 18,000 Head Start centers across the nation.
- Eliminating Head Start would eliminate free childcare for parents, according to Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association. This could force hundreds of thousands of parents to make difficult choices between their livelihoods and reliable child care.
- The suspension of federal grant and loan disbursements under the Trump administration has caused some Head Start centers to temporarily shut down or consider doing so. However, the issue seems to have been largely resolved, with some centers still not receiving their federal funds.
- LIHEAP helps around 6 million households with their utility bills, but only manages to assist less than 16% of eligible families. A bipartisan group of senators has urged HHS Secretary Kennedy to reinstate the LIHEAP staffers that were laid off, arguing that releasing funds could "undermine the HHS's ability to deliver this critical funding to low-income seniors and families."
- The proposed budget plan, leaked from the Trump White House, threatens to withdraw funding from two vital programs, LIHEAP and Head Start, targeting millions of individuals who rely on early childhood education and energy assistance.
- Critics claim that the draft budget neglects the impacts on ordinary people, as it intends to eliminate support for Head Start, a 59-year-old program dedicated to offering essential services for low-income families, despite serving nearly 800,000 children.
- Education-and-self-development and general-news outlets have reported on the impact of budget decisions on the average American, making it clear that scrapping Head Start would potentially force parents to face difficult decisions between employment and childcare, due to the loss of free childcare services.
- The widespread consequences of the suggested budget cuts extend beyond energy assistance and early childhood education, as confusion surrounding funding decisions continues to circulate in the political arena, with voices urging for the reinstatement of LIHEAP staff members to maintain the delivery of critical funding to millions of desperate households.
