Illinois lawmakers meet with House Minority Leader to discuss Head Start challenges

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — It has been a tough year for Head Start.

On top of funding freezes, in April, a leaked memo showed the Trump administration was considering cutting the program entirely.

“It has been extremely challenging to work through some of those things and also making sure that our staff and our community feel supported,” Marcus Johnson, President and CEO of Springfield Urban League, said.

On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined Illinois lawmakers Nikki Budzinski and Dick Durbin for a round table discussion with families and educators on what cuts to SNAP benefits would mean for the kids they serve.

One of their top concerns was how SNAP benefits are tied to Head Start programs.

A Biden era rule mandated if a child qualifies for SNAP benefits then they would also automatically qualify for Head Start. Less kids qualifying for SNAP could translate into less kids in Head Start programs.

“We need to restore the cuts that Donald Trump and Republicans have jammed down the throats of the American people that will hurt everyday Americans here in Illinois,” Jeffries said.

The lower enrollment could eventually translate into lower budgets for Head Start as well.

That is because in 2018, the federal Head Start Office introduced its “full enrollment initiative.”

The rule states that any provider who was chronically below 97% enrollment could see its funding reduced.

“I think they are looking for ways to pay for tax cuts for some of the richest people and there are doing that on the backs of our most vulnerable families,” Budzinski said.

On top of SNAP cuts, a new directive from the Trump administration to not enroll undocumented children in Head Start could make it even harder for providers to keep enrollment up, and along with it, their funding. 

“Instead of investing in what works, this administration hasn’t just turned its back on those families. It is actively working against them,” Budzinski said.

The Trump administration has announced it will delay the enforcement of its new Head Start qualifications until Sept. 11.