Trump halts funding ‘Head Start.’ Baldwin says ‘not so fast.’

By Christina Lorey

April 19, 2025

BAD NEWS 🗞️ Trump has halted more than $35 million in funding for Wisconsin “Head Start” centers — a 50% cut that could close preschools and child care centers across the state.

GOOD NEWS ❤️ Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin isn’t putting up with it!

Baldwin called on U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to answer for the closure of five regional Head Start offices across the country — including the Region 5 office in Chicago, which serves Head Start centers in Wisconsin.

📚 DEEP DIVE: What Head Start Really Does & How It Affects Everyone

“Before our very eyes, Donald Trump is defunding Head Start – kicking kids out of the classrooms, laying off teachers and caretakers, and leaving many parents with no option for child care,” said Senator Baldwin.

“The idea that the President is actively working to give the biggest corporations and wealthiest Wall Street guys a new tax break while taking away preschool and child care from Wisconsinites is beyond the pale – and I will fight it at every turn. Everywhere I travel in Wisconsin, parents tell me about the challenge of finding and affording good child care and early learning opportunities – and this move will only make it worse. We need to make child care more affordable, not shut down this lifeline, like the President is planning.”

Across Wisconsin, 299 Head Start Centers serve nearly 15,000 children and their families, providing high-quality early childhood education and wrap-around support.

Head Start programs’ grants are generally renewed at the same time each year, and Head Start programs DEPEND on these strict funding cycles to continue serving kids and families.

Nationwide, the Trump administration has withheld nearly $1 billion in funding for Head Start.

Author

Christina Lorey

Christina Lorey is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and former UpNorthNews newsletter editor. She previously worked as a producer, reporter, and TV anchor for stations in Madison and Moline. When she’s not writing or asking questions, Christina volunteers with Girls on the Run, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and several mental health organizations.

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CATEGORIES: EDUCATION

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