Budzinski Leads Illinois Delegation in Letter to Protect Head Start

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) led the Illinois delegation in a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy urging the importance of Head Start programs. The members sent the letter after the release of an alleged internal memo from the Office of Management and Budget, which instructed HHS to fully dismantle the Office of Head Start.

The members write, “This year, Illinois Head Start and Early Head Start programs are expected to receive over $478 million in grants to serve over 28,000 children and their families across the State of Illinois. If Head Start were to lose this funding and shut down, it would be a direct attack on our most at-risk children, their well-being, and their families.”

Congresswoman Budzinski, a strong advocate for increased funding for Head Start, emphasized the importance of these programs in fostering early childhood development. Head Start supports school readiness for children from birth to age five, focusing on cognitive, social, and emotional growth. The programs are operated by local nonprofits, community action agencies, and school districts. Across the United States, Head Start currently serves over 36 million children, empowering them with the foundational skills necessary for success in school and beyond.

The letter is supported by Head Start Illinois:

“Across Illinois, over 28,000 children and families who are most at-risk are supported by Head Start and Early Head Start programs. These programs play a vital role in promoting school readiness and providing essential services such as nutrition, health, and mental health support along with empowering families to achieve their educational, career, and financial goals.  It is not an exaggeration to say that the dismantling or defunding of Head Start would be devastating to vulnerable children and families in Illinois and across the nation. It is hard to understand the logic of this decision, especially when Head Start has a strong return on investment in the form of better lifetime educational and health outcomes for children and families who participate in the program,” said Lauri Frichtl, Executive Director at Illinois Head Start Association. 

The full text of the letter is HERE and below: 

The Honorable Secretary Kennedy

Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Ave SW

Washington, DC 20201

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

We write to you today to share our deep concern about the reported internal Office of Management and Budget document transmitted to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that seeks a full dismantling of the Office of Head Start. Head Start and Early Head Start are lifelines for families in Illinois and across the country, and, if these decisions are made official, it would have devastating consequences for thousands of American children and families. 

Head Start has been serving low-income families for 60 years. For families struggling to make ends meet, Head Start provides no-cost childcare, health care, meals, and more for children ages five and under. Head Start leads families to economic self-sufficiency and helps them find a pathway to independence and success, one parent and child at a time.  This is not to mention the critical early intervention services it provides for students with physical and learning disabilities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

This year, Illinois Head Start and Early Head Start programs are expected to receive over $478 million in grants to serve over 28,000 children and their families across the State of Illinois. If Head Start were to lose this funding and shut down, it would be a direct attack on our most at-risk children, their well-being, and their families. The loss of childcare services would force thousands of parents to face challenges in their ability to go to work to provide for their families. A loss of Head Start would mean an end to early learning, meals, vision, hearing, and developmental screenings, and dental care for Illinois’ most at-risk children.

The reported memo states that:

“This elimination is consistent with the Administration’s goals of returning education to the States and increasing parental choice. The Federal government should not be in the business of mandating curriculum, locations, and performance standards for any form of education.”

This is a misrepresentation of what Head Start is, as well as the meaningful services it provides. The care Head Start provides is based in child development research and crafted directly in response to the interests and input of families and local communities in which they operate. Parents are highly involved in Head Start centers and have the ability to provide feedback and engagement in the curriculum offered. Head Start locations operate on a federal-to-local model, meaning that local communities and leaders are responsible for determining locations of centers, services offered, and additional funding opportunities.

Given the locally-led nature of this program and the many children and families in Illinois it serves with a variety of opportunities, we seek answers to the following questions:

1. How does HHS propose that eliminating the Office of Head Start, a locally-led program, will 

functionally return leadership to states and localities?

2. What is HHS’s legal justification for seeking to cancel a Congressionally created and funded program?

3. How does HHS intend to utilize the Congressionally approved funding for Head Start in the event that the Office of Head Start is eliminated?

4. What recourse will HHS provide to the families and staff affected by the elimination of the Office of Head Start, including childcare, health care, and free meals?

5. Do you anticipate closures of Head Start locations in Illinois? How many children and staff will be affected?

We request answers to these questions no later than May 15, 2025. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

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