Republicans in Congress are threatening to strip away a vital early childhood education program that millions of families rely on to stay afloat and put food on the table. For policymakers, celebrating Mother’s Day should mean pushing for strategies that support moms, not pulling the rug out from under us.
Head Start provides local organizations with the funds to run free, comprehensive early learning programs for low-income and vulnerable families. I’m the proud mother of three young boys. When I lost my job, I was able to enroll my two youngest sons — then 4 months and 2 years old — in Early Head Start. I don’t know what we would have done without it.
Because of this program, all three of my boys are more empowered, more resilient, and more prepared for life. My middle son has a rare speech disorder and can use early intervention services through Head Start. It has supported him academically and socially, and it’s given my husband and me the confidence to know he’s on the right track developmentally.
I’ve even seen my oldest son, who was never enrolled in the program, experience the ripple effects of what Head Start brings into our home. A Head Start home visitor stops by each week to share activities, offer tips, and connect us with community resources. She’s become an extension of our family and someone all three boys look forward to seeing.
You can imagine my heartbreak when the leaked draft of a budget proposal revealed something unthinkable: the Trump administration wants to do away with Head Start. Thankfully, while the summary of their budget proposaldoesn’t go so far as to slash the program entirely, it has taken several actions to disrupt service and cause chaos among the Head Start community in the months since Trump took office. Head Start programs have received nearly $1 billion less in federal grants so far this year compared to this time last year.
It’s also been reported that the administration considered policy proposals to boost our nation’s birthrate — everything from menstrual cycle classes and a “baby bonus” to Fulbright scholarships and a “National Medal of Motherhood.”
America doesn’t have a birth problem. We have a caregiving crisis. And it’s being made worse by politicians who claim to be pro-family while stripping away everything that helps us raise our children. Until that’s addressed, no amount of one-time bonuses or medals will persuade couples to take up the mantle of parenthood when families are already scraping by.
At a time when half of the country lives in a child care desert and the cost of child care is prohibitive, we need serious policy solutions — things like child care access and paid family leave.
While the White House brainstorms how to spike birth rates, its allies in Congress are pushing a budget reconciliation plan that includes deep cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Any threats to Medicaid and SNAP also put access to WIC in danger, a critical lifeline for the same population of families relying on Head Start services.
When explaining the reason for cutting Head Start (in the leaked budget proposal), the Trump administration claimed it was consistent with the goal of increasing “parent choice.” Actually, it limits our freedom of choice. Head Start has given me a newfound voice and confidence.
I serve on my program’s policy council. These councils are a pillar of the Head Start model and allow parents to shape decision-making for the program and the education it provides. The policy council is where I found community, purpose and the confidence to advocate, not just for my kids.
If anything, we should expand Head Start to serve more families, including middle-class families, without eliminating it or cutting its funding. How can you claim to care about increasing birth rates while gutting Medicaid, a program that covers 41 percent of births in this country? How can you push families to have more children while taking away food assistance? How can you claim to be pro-family while gutting Head Start, a program that provides comprehensive services to our country’s most vulnerable families?
The message this administration is sending to moms this Mother’s Day is painfully clear: They’re more interested in promoting the idea of family than funding the programs that support families.
I don’t need a Mother’s Day card. I don’t need a speech. I need action. Keep Head Start alive, protect Medicaid and SNAP, and expand the supports that families rely on daily.
