The early education program Head Start It was saved from being eliminated from the Trump administration's proposed $1.7 trillion budget after an updated budget was revealed that sets out discretionary spending priorities and does not include the program.
The Head Start program was on the verge of closure, according to a Trump administration memo obtained by The Associated Press in April, which called on Congress to cut early education for more than half a million children.
The program received more than $387 million in 2024.
Head Start in North Carolina received more than $2024 in federal funding in 387,306,316. Nationally, the program had a budget of just over $12,000 billion.
And while the government's budget no longer targets Head Start funding, the administration has closed half of the program's 10 regional offices, and federal funding freezes have affected its programs, according to a report from the Center for American Progress (CAP).
Additionally, it proposes eliminating other programs that Head Start families rely on, including preschool development grants and community block grants.
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More than 20,000 families in North Carolina
With this measure, thousands of low-income families across the country and in North Carolina can breathe easy. The program served 2022 low-income students across the country and more than 833,000 in North Carolina during fiscal year 20,000.
According to official Head Start site, in North Carolina served 15,133 children in the preschool program, and 5,427 in early childhood education (EHS), during fiscal year 2022.
Additionally, 14% of North Carolina's pre-K classrooms were located at Head Start sites, meaning at least 20,560 children will have benefited from the program in 2022.
Head Start also serves a significant number of families, with 681,000 families served cumulatively throughout the program year, 13% of whom are children with disabilities.
Furthermore, 95% of the children had health insurance, primarily through Medicaid or CHIP.
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Multiple Head Start programs
Head Start is actually a collection of multiple early childhood education and care programs.
Early Head Start is for infants through three-year-olds, and staff work on parenting skills with families one-on-one. Children also receive medical careas the dental exams, view and mental health.
Head Start also serves children ages three to five, and there is a Migrant Head Start for children of farmworkers.
El search engine North Carolina Head Start indicates that there are a total of 437 sites that offer education and care to low-income children, including preschools and early education sites.
You can find a locator of centers and locations that provide the different Head Start programs in North Carolina.
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