How Trump and Kennedy are throwing Head Start into reverse

This article was produced by Capital Main It is published here with permission Candice Williams never had to be convinced of the value of a effort like Head Start She lived it Williams is executive director of Family Forward Oregon a Portland-based collective of parents support workers and advocates that pushes for legislative reforms such as paid family leave and affordable child care Long before that though Williams benefitted as a child from Head Start s comprehensive early coaching literacy and nutrition programs for low-income families one success story in the mostly glowing -year history of the federal activity My family would not be where it is right now had I not had access to the early literacy programs and early supports from Head Start which made me fall in love with schooling mentioned Williams who went on to earn three master s degrees in learning and leadership as a first-generation college apprentice Her sentiment is broadly supported by the figures Research begun decades ago and more in recent weeks reevaluated indicates that making early investments in childhood tuition as Head Start does yields major economic returns in the range of to back to society for every dollar invested In California Head Start serves more than kids The undertaking touches the lives of an estimated children across the country annually Thus Williams can t quite figure out why President Donald Trump and Healthcare and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr are so intent on killing it The fact that they re coming for something like Head Start which is loved and supported across political lines should have all of us screaming from the rooftops Williams mentioned In any other political moment this would have gotten weeks and weeks of national attention The Trump administration s latest salvo landed last week with Kennedy attempting to prevent Head Start from continuing to provide tools for all low-income children in America Its effects would be real and potentially toxic The HHS notice would change the longstanding interpretation of a nearly -year-old law and declare Head Start s services off-limits to immigrant families illegal aliens in the words of the HHS announcement That would mean a denial of institution to certain children in the U S from birth to age in such areas as early learning and enhancement nutrition and wellness and family well-being Head Start which includes preschool services is free to low-income families This is a misguided and hateful action targeting immigrant children declared Clarissa Doutherd executive director of the advocacy group Parent Voices Oakland which says more than children are enrolled in the city of Oakland s Head Start campaign It is a gross abuse of power that will negatively impact generations of families This goes against why the Head Start venture was founded to create a safe and nurturing milieu for children Like several other Trump framework announcements this one was not accompanied by instructions on how it should be carried out leaving its implementation an open question Since majority of of the nonprofits school districts and faith-based organizations that deliver Head Start s early development and nutrition programs do not collect or keep immigration information it s unclear how they re supposed to weed out and turn away undocumented children or if that s even the point We re not sure what happens if the child was born in the U S but one of his parents isn t documented stated one activity worker in Northern California who solicited not to be identified for fear of retribution against their organization Are they using the kids to go after the parents The HHS announcement revealed it was formally rescinding a reconciliation act that extended Head Start programs and certain other federal benefits to all families regardless of their immigration status and the agency announced it would now require documentation of that status For too long the governing body has diverted hardworking Americans tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration Kennedy noted Currently s action changes that it restores integrity to federal social programs enforces the rule of law and protects vital guidance for the American people In serving nearly million children and their families since its creation in Head Start has never required documentation of immigration status the National Head Start Association declared in a announcement This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future NHSA executive director Yasmina Vinci mentioned Williams explained she and others in Family Forward Oregon s vast arrangement of helpers and nonprofits who work with an estimated Oregon children who receive services through Head Start aren t sure what s next Kennedy s intention is for the anti-immigrant HHS interpretation to take effect right now but again there are no details as to how and Williams announced the questions at this moment outnumber the answers Fear she announced is running high In the meantime her organization will fight Both Family Forward Oregon and Parent Voices Oakland along with the Head Start associations of four states earlier this year joined a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union alleging that the Trump administration is trying to dismantle Head Start by gutting the operation of staff and guidance and delaying funding among other things On Wednesday the ACLU amended the suit to include Kennedy s latest directive regarding immigration status challenging the HHS reinterpretation as unlawful and unconstitutional The administration s staff cuts delays and immigration directive threaten the vital early development soundness and social services that more than children and families rely on each year the ACLU reported in a report Workers on the ground meanwhile say there s a ripple effect from the actions If Head Start funding is ultimately delayed or denied local child care programs budgets could take such a hit that they either fold entirely or severely curtail their services and that s to all families not just the ones potentially affected by the HHS protocol shifts including the immigration question We are determined to use every tool that we have to fight this including for children whose parents were born in another country Parent Voices Oakland s Doutherd announced Added Williams We do not operate from a place of fear Capital Main is an award-winning nonprofit publication that reports from California on the greater part pressing economic environmental and social issues of our time including economic inequality environment change robustness care threats to democracy hate and extremism and immigration Copyright Capital Main