Trump Administration’s Changes To Head Start Sow Uncertainty Among Illinois Child Care Providers

Introduction to the Issue

In DeKalb and Kane counties west of Chicago, more than 240 low-income families depend on Two Rivers Head Start Agency for child care, a food pantry, car repairs, baby items, and other services. But over the last six months, since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, Executive Director Kelly Neidel has seen families stop coming out of fear of being deported.

Concerns Over New Directive

Now, she worries that a new Trump administration directive, which bars undocumented children from accessing Head Start, will further erode the bonds between families and providers. “Head Start is all about building trust,” said Neidel, whose organization operates three centers across the two counties and receives funding from Head Start and the Community Service Block Grant among other funds. “And I think this will do the opposite.”

Impact of the Change

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced earlier this month that it is rescinding an almost 30-year-old guidance from the Clinton administration that allowed undocumented immigrants to access Head Start and other programs because they were not considered federal public benefits. Under the change, Head Start is now classified as a public benefit, meaning undocumented immigrants do not qualify for the program.

Uncertainty Among Providers

The change has caused confusion among Illinois Head Start providers and advocates who are concerned for the families they serve, unsure what they are expected to do, and worried about a drop in student enrollment that would mean losing funding. Head Start serves almost 29,000 children and pregnant women across Illinois, according to the Illinois Head Start Association.

Administrative Burden

Under current Head Start rules, providers are responsible for checking a family’s eligibility to enroll in the program. But they’ve never been required to collect citizenship data, according to some Illinois Head Start providers. While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has yet to say how Head Start providers should check for immigration status, some providers are concerned that it will place an administrative burden on staff at child care centers.

Potential Consequences

Nadia Gronkowski, program manager of advocacy and policy at Start Early, an early childhood advocacy group and Head Start grantee that distributes federal funding to community-based organizations, worries about the consequences of having this policy and its impact on staff. “It sort of all depends on how it’s implemented, but there’s a possibility that [staff] would now need to be checking out citizenship verification for every student,” said Gronkowski. “That’s a significant amount of staff time and costs to do that sort of verification.”

Enrollment and Funding Concerns

Other Head Start providers are concerned about a possible drop in enrollment. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, Head Start rolled out a “full enrollment initiative,” which required providers to keep enrollment levels at or above 97% every year. If enrollment drops below that, the federal Office of Head Start can reduce annual funding. Brenda Berman, spokesperson for the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, a Head Start grantee that reaches over 15,000 children and adults through direct service and community partnerships and runs three child care centers in Chicago, said withholding funding could create a “spiraling effect.” If the Carole Robertson Center loses funding, it would lose slots for children, impacting families and communities.

Guidance and Implementation

For now, Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, executive director of the Illinois Head Start Association, said her organization is encouraging Head Start providers not to implement any new policies until there is further guidance from the Trump administration. However, she doesn’t know when that will happen. “From what we hear, the Office of Head Start has been told by the administration to work on guidance,” said Morrison-Frichtl. “It’ll be weeks before any guidance comes out, or months. I’d be surprised if we have it by the end of the summer.”

Pushback and Lawsuits

There has been pushback to the Trump administration’s policy changes. The Illinois Head Start Association along with other state Head Start associations are a part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union arguing that changes to Head Start are “unconstitutional and unlawful” and requesting a stop to all “actions to dismantle Head Start.” The lawsuit was originally filed in late April, and the ACLU is seeking to amend the lawsuit this month to include a challenge to the recent directive barring undocumented children from the program.

State and National Response

Additionally, 20 states, including Illinois, and the District of Columbia announced on Monday they are suing the Trump administration over new rules to restrict undocumented immigrants and some visa-holders from federal programs that provide early childhood education, health care, and other services saying the administration did not follow procedures to establish new rules, misinterprets federal welfare laws, and puts an excessive burden on Head Start providers to verify immigration status of students and their families.

History and Support of Head Start

Head Start has provided access to child care, preschool, and other services for low-income families for 60 years and historically received bipartisan support. Now, the program is facing challenges under Trump’s second term and is at risk of being eliminated. Earlier in April, the federal Department of Health and Human Services closed five of ten regional Head Start offices around the country, including one in Chicago that served Illinois and states throughout the Midwest.

Conclusion

Despite the uncertainty, some child care providers and advocates are staying optimistic. “Earlier this year when Head Start was proposed for elimination, the Head Start community rallied like we have never seen it rally before,” Gronkowski said. “They stood up and said, ‘You can’t do this, this is important to our communities, and this is important to our families.’” She hopes people will continue to rally around the program. Neidel, of Two Rivers Head Start Agency, said she wants to ensure kids are safe and to maintain relationships with families, but it’s hard with the changes happening at the federal level.

FAQs

• Q: What is the Trump administration’s new directive regarding Head Start?
  • A: The Trump administration has announced that it is rescinding a nearly 30-year-old guidance that allowed undocumented immigrants to access Head Start and other programs, now classifying Head Start as a public benefit that undocumented immigrants do not qualify for.
• Q: How many children and pregnant women does Head Start serve in Illinois?
  • A: Head Start serves almost 29,000 children and pregnant women across Illinois.
• Q: What are the concerns among Illinois Head Start providers and advocates?
  • A: They are concerned about the administrative burden of verifying immigration status, a potential drop in enrollment, and the impact of reduced funding on families and communities.
• Q: What legal actions are being taken in response to the Trump administration’s policy changes?
  • A: The Illinois Head Start Association is part of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, and 20 states, including Illinois, are suing the Trump administration over the new rules.
• Q: What is the historical context of Head Start and its current status?
  • A: Head Start has provided services for low-income families for 60 years with bipartisan support but is now facing challenges under the Trump administration, including risk of elimination and closure of regional offices.