The Head Start programs from Illinois and a handful of other states are suing the Trump administration after officials proposed slashing federal funding for early childcare and education programs across the country. The lawsuit, filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Illinois Head Start and agencies from Washington, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Oregon, claims the Trump administration is illegally “dismantling this crucial program in defiance of Congress” amid widespread closures and layoffs. “Head Start agencies … faced unprecedented confusion that threatened their ability to operate and, indeed, their very existence,” the lawsuit states. “Agencies struggled to get any information about the status of their funding and their designation as Head Start providers, without which they would not be able to continue services. Agencies’ budgets are currently so precarious that many are not able to adequately plan to pay leases and staff.”
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Head Start operates across 50 states. Parents who otherwise would not be able to afford child care rely on it when they work or go to school. Supporters say that underscores the importance of Head Start to the economy and at-risk children alike. The Trump administration has sought to eliminate funding for Head Start, which would cut early education for more than half a million of the nation’s neediest children and child care for their families. Project 2025, the policy blueprint created by the conservative Heritage Foundation, called for eliminating Head Start altogether. The National Head Start Association said it is “deeply alarmed” by the proposal, which was contained in the Department of Health and Human Services’ 2026 discretionary Budget passback. NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci said this month the elimination of funding would be “catastrophic.” “This proposal does not reflect fiscal responsibility — it reflects a disinvestment in our future,” she said in a statement. “It would be a direct attack on our nation’s most at-risk children, their well-being, and their families. It would end early learning, meals, vision, hearing, developmental screenings, and dental care for nearly 800,000 children.” Earlier this month, the Trump administration abruptly closed regional Head Start offices in Chicago, Boston, New York, San Francisco and Seattle and laid off the entirety of their staff. According to the lawsuit, approximately 28,000 children are currently enrolled in Head Start across Illinois, of whom 14% have disabilities, 4% are in foster care and 8% percent are experiencing homelessness. Around 41% of those children identify as Black, and 36% identify as Hispanic, the lawsuit states, adding that the Illinois Head Start program also serves significant populations of immigrant, refugee and other limited English proficient families throughout the state. Illinois Head Start employs more than 8,700 people statewide and many of the partner agencies were left scrambling when it became unclear whether they would receive anticipated federal funding, the lawsuit states. “The Illinois Head Start Association Board of Directors spent hours over the last several weeks weighing the pros and cons and decided too much was at stake to not act,” the board said in a statement Wednesday. “ It was an extremely difficult decision to make. … IHSA chose to take this action because we have to fight for the rights of children and families in communities. We have to fight for people who have no voice.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Thanks to our sponsors:
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