Head Start moms won’t let Washington cut their kids’ future

Last spring, a leaked document showed that the Trump Administration was considering eliminating Head Start entirely—a position that was outlined in Project 2025 as well.

Then, the National Head Start Association delivered an open letter, signed by 52,000 Head Start parents and graduates, urging Trump to support and strengthen the program, not defund it, and the administration walked back their plan.

Still, financial cuts and turmoil from the administration have continued to cause havoc for Head Start. In January, government funding freezes caused dozens of Head Start programs to use reserves to keep their doors open. In April, half of the regional offices that support Head Start were closed as part of federal workforce reductions, causing the remaining offices to scramble to cover the workloads, and in July, the administration created a rule to bar undocumented children from Head Start programs. Many local Head Start programs from Pennsylvania to Nevada to Virginia have been thrown into chaos, not knowing what the future holds.

August is when members of Congress leave Washington, DC, and return to their home districts to engage with their constituents. Typically, lawmakers hold meetings, attend community events, and connect with advocacy organizations about issues that impact their regions during the recess. Seizing this opportunity, Head Start moms began reaching out.

Starr Dixon of Michigan knows the value of Head Start. She’s a single mom living in a small town where childcare options are few and far between. “Head Start has meant a lot for my family,” Starr explains. “I’m a single mom, and it’s allowed me to work while my daughter has a safe, educational place to grow.”

Starr reached out to her representative, John Moolenaar (R-District 2), who sits on the appropriations committee. After a few tries, she secured a meeting with one of his office representatives. “I felt that the meeting went well…and they understood where I was coming from. Afterwards, I felt accomplished, like my voice had been heard.”

She’ll now be watching to see how Moolenaar votes. This month, hearings are being held on Head Start funding. Starr wants to see the program allotted enough money to keep up with growing inflation and need, not flat funding or cuts that would weaken the program her daughter attends.

Rinn O’Rourke of Wisconsin did the same. Her daughter attended Head Start when she was little, and now Rinn works for the program, witnessing its community value every day. Many of the families she works with “live in rural areas where childcare options are nonexistent, transportation is limited, and families face isolation,” she says. Head Start makes the difference.

After a series of email exchanges, Rinn was able to meet with a representative from Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s (R-District 3) office. She encouraged him to continue his support of Head Start. She’s not taking his previous support for granted—she knows it’s our job as citizens to ensure our representatives fight for our needs. “Families in western Wisconsin need leaders who will stand firmly behind programs like Head Start,” Rinn says. “Decades of research show that Head Start is one of the most effective federal programs in breaking cycles of poverty.”

Other moms reached out to their representatives, but were given the run-around. For weeks, Marisa Jacobo of California tried to reach Congressman Ken Calvert (R-District 41). “I have called four times and have been rerouted to submit a concern online,” Marisa explains. “I looked online and it was stated that if I needed assistance regarding a federal agency, do not submit an online concern, call the district office.” Given these conflicting instructions, Marisa says, “I decided to go to the office in Palm Desert, but found his office closed.” Marisa thinks it’s unfortunate that Ken Calvert’s office wasn’t more receptive: “Last year in California, Head Start helped prepare 83,000 children for school. That’s something we should be proud of, not turn our backs on,” says Marisa.

If the funding is cut, Calvert will need to scramble to answer to his constituents…and their kids.

This quiet engagement—the phone calls, the emails, the meetings —is the steady heartbeat of a democracy. Starr, Rinn, and Marisa are acting on issues that matter, on a very personal level, to them; issues that impact the marrow of their everyday lives. Through each call, each message left, each email sent, they are reminding their congresspeople that everyday people are a part of the governing process.

I spoke with Head Start moms from Hawaii to Michigan: Only half were able to secure meetings with their representatives—but still, they each tried, and tried again. Their persistence speaks volumes to me; I hope it speaks to their representatives, as well.

It’s hard to know what to do in these uncertain, nervous times. Families are concerned about the rising prices, the defunding of programs, the cuts in care. Many don’t know what the future looks like, for themselves or for the nation. Some people are taking to the streets to demonstrate their opposition to the administration, others are organizing mutual aid projects, still others are figuring out what it takes to run for local office.

Amidst all this important work, what these Head Start moms are doing is also powerful. They know this type of simple civic engagement is needed not only to protect Head Start, but also to remind their elected officials of who they work for.