Guest commentary: Proposed ‘skinny budget’ threatens to eliminate vital programs
By Patricia Keelan
On April 1st, the new Trump administration abruptly closed five regional Head Start offices that provided support and guidance for Head Start programs in 23 states and territories, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. But this was no April Fool’s joke.
The sudden loss of the regional staff who had been key partners in ensuring the Head Start and Early Head Start programs’ success across our country was dealt a serious blow.
One of those abruptly shuttered regional offices was Region 9 in San Francisco, which oversaw all Head Start programs in California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona, including CommUnify’s 20 Head Start campuses here in Santa Barbara County.
This sudden shutdown threatens the future of our local Head Start program and the children and families it serves, and it was done with no warning and no transition plan.
But the worst is yet to come: the newly proposed “skinny” federal budget completely eliminates Head Start and Early Head Start.
These programs serve close to 800,000 children and close to a million parents annually across our nation, and close to 600 children (infants, toddlers and preschoolers) and their parents in Santa Barbara County. Because Head Start is free of charge for the families who qualify, those families — who are already struggling financially — could experience even greater economic burdens trying to find safe affordable childcare.
Or they may have to forgo working and stay home with their children, which impacts our local workforce and economy.
Other potential negative outcomes are increased homelessness, food insecurity, mental health challenges, and the risk that these children may end up placed in unsafe or unlicensed childcare settings.
And our 200+ Head Start staff may lose their jobs.
The premise of Head Start is simple: every child, regardless of their circumstances at birth, should have the ability to reach their full potential. And Head Start works: since its launch in 1965, Head Start has positively impacted the life circumstances of 40 million children and their families.
The data has consistently shown that children who attend Head Start have better health outcomes, better preparation for kindergarten, and a greater likelihood of graduating high school and completing a post-secondary degree.
Children who attend Head Start are:
• less likely to enter foster care
• less likely to be aggressive and have behavioral issues
• 31% less likely to engage in criminal activities as young adults
For parents:
• Head Start enhances parents’ education level, employment status, and financial self-sufficiency
• Improves parenting skills, reduces parental stress, and increases family stability.
Head Start alumni include such noteworthy people as: Chris Rock, Shaquille O’Neal, Darren Walker (head of the Ford Foundation), Angela Bassett, and Sonia Sotomayor, among others.
CommUnify has provided Head Start and Early Head Start in Santa Barbara County since 1967, and we estimate that to date the programs have served 55,000+ local children and their families.
Eliminating Head Start means it will be an even bigger challenge than before to ensure that low-income children get a fair shot at a quality education and a better future.
If you’d like to help save Head Start, please start by calling or writing these Western Region Congressional representatives who are likely to vote “yes” to pass the new federal budget (thus eliminating Head Start).
If you are interested in doing so, please reach out to [email protected] and we could send you the list of names and numbers where you can call these representatives. You can also visit region9hsa.org/advocacy/advocacy-action-center/, an advocacy page an advocacy page that gives suggestions of what you can do, scripts you can use if you call Congress, and what those Congressional representatives are likely to vote for the budget.
We are also happy to recognize our local congressional representatives, Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff, and Congressman Salud Carbajal who are all in favor of saving the Head Start program.
However, there is still work to be done. Just recently, on April 28, the Illinois Head Start Association, along with several other Head Start associations from across the country, filed a lawsuit against the federal government over its plans to eliminate the early childhood development programs nationwide.
Santa Barbara County could look very different without Head Start. The clock is ticking and the time is now to raise our voices. For more information about how you can help, please go to saveheadstartsb.com
Patricia Keelean is the CEO of CommUnify, a nonprofit organization working in partnership with the community to find innovative and sustainable solutions for Santa Barbara County residents to improve and maintain their health, resilience and financial security.
