Chicago's Head Start Programs May Face Funding Cuts After Government Shutdown Looms
A federal shutdown that is set to end in December may leave around 65,000 children and their families across the US without access to early childhood education and childcare services through the Head Start program.
Unlike in Chicago where a single program could be affected as per Association of Illinois Head Start, which has stated that none of its members are impacted. However, one southern Illinois-based center may see funding cut back for the next month due to fiscal year variations among Head Start recipients.
On December 1st, however, budget cuts may impact programs serving 6,300 children in Chicago and two major social service organizations, the Carole Robertson Center and Henry Booth House. "We're trying to find a resolution as soon as possible," said Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, executive director of Association of Illinois Head Start.
But she noted that progress has been slow. The organization is currently unable to move forward due to lack of momentum. "Even if we manage to get the program up and running, how are we going to support families with food security?" asked Morrison-Frichtl.
The program which serves approximately the same number of children also faces budget cuts on November 1st through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Another federal program that is facing a funding cut. "It puts families and children at risk," said Morrison-Frichtl.
Only one Head Start center in southern Illinois, located over three hours south of Chicago, may see its funding cut back due to the upcoming budget cuts on November 1st. The center serves around 335 kids and employs 104 people across seven counties. An emergency grant from the Association of Community Action Agencies of Illinois will provide temporary funding for the program to run for another week.
The Head Start program has been under attack since before Trump's inauguration when the right-wing plan to cut down government spending was unveiled. However, despite having bipartisan support, it faced elimination in Project 2025 which was proposed by the Trump administration.
At the beginning of this year, Illinois program serving around 28,000 children had difficulties accessing funding and threatened with complete elimination of its funding for 2026.
The Trump administration then suddenly added immigration status to the eligibility criteria, a decision currently being blocked by a pending lawsuit filed by groups and Head Start providers in Illinois and other places. The Department of Health and Human Services, which manages Head Start services, did not respond to requests for comments. A federal shutdown has suspended all non-essential federal workers.
A federal shutdown that is set to end in December may leave around 65,000 children and their families across the US without access to early childhood education and childcare services through the Head Start program.
Unlike in Chicago where a single program could be affected as per Association of Illinois Head Start, which has stated that none of its members are impacted. However, one southern Illinois-based center may see funding cut back for the next month due to fiscal year variations among Head Start recipients.
On December 1st, however, budget cuts may impact programs serving 6,300 children in Chicago and two major social service organizations, the Carole Robertson Center and Henry Booth House. "We're trying to find a resolution as soon as possible," said Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, executive director of Association of Illinois Head Start.
But she noted that progress has been slow. The organization is currently unable to move forward due to lack of momentum. "Even if we manage to get the program up and running, how are we going to support families with food security?" asked Morrison-Frichtl.
The program which serves approximately the same number of children also faces budget cuts on November 1st through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Another federal program that is facing a funding cut. "It puts families and children at risk," said Morrison-Frichtl.
Only one Head Start center in southern Illinois, located over three hours south of Chicago, may see its funding cut back due to the upcoming budget cuts on November 1st. The center serves around 335 kids and employs 104 people across seven counties. An emergency grant from the Association of Community Action Agencies of Illinois will provide temporary funding for the program to run for another week.
The Head Start program has been under attack since before Trump's inauguration when the right-wing plan to cut down government spending was unveiled. However, despite having bipartisan support, it faced elimination in Project 2025 which was proposed by the Trump administration.
At the beginning of this year, Illinois program serving around 28,000 children had difficulties accessing funding and threatened with complete elimination of its funding for 2026.
The Trump administration then suddenly added immigration status to the eligibility criteria, a decision currently being blocked by a pending lawsuit filed by groups and Head Start providers in Illinois and other places. The Department of Health and Human Services, which manages Head Start services, did not respond to requests for comments. A federal shutdown has suspended all non-essential federal workers.
Those poor kids 
who won't have access to early childhood education & childcare services... 65k children affected, what's gonna happen to 'em? 
Funding cuts on the table, it's like, don't they deserve a chance at a good start in life? 
It's like they're setting them up for failure. And now I'm reading about another funding cut through SNAP in Nov... it's like they're messing with people's lives. And the center in southern Illinois that only has an emergency grant to keep running for another week? That's just not enough! 
We need to make sure these kids get the support they deserve. When did we become a society where we can't even take care of our own children? 
. First, they're talking about funding cuts for the Head Start program, and I know how that goes - it's always a ploy to control the narrative. And then you got these 'budget variations' causing problems in southern Illinois... yeah right 
. What if this is just an excuse to dismantle the entire program? We all know what happens when they cut funding for social services - the vulnerable populations get left behind, and that's exactly what's gonna happen here.
. It sounds like a fancy way of saying 'we can't afford to keep it running'. I'm not buying it. This is just another example of how our government is playing us against each other, making it seem like they're trying to help but are actually just cutting corners.
. That's right, the Trump administration's plan to cut down on government spending was more than just a coincidence. It's a blueprint for their next move - take away our safety net and leave us high and dry. Wake up, sheeple! 
we need to make some noise about this! 
let's hope lauri morrison-frichtl can find a way to get the program funded ASAP 
I'm really concerned about the potential funding cuts to Chicago's Head Start programs 
. 65,000 kids are already at risk of losing access to early childhood education and childcare services. It's not just the kids who'll be affected, but their families too - food security is a huge issue here 
.
. It's not about being partisan, it's about providing essential services to vulnerable populations 
. The fact that there's bipartisan support for the program yet it still faces elimination is just... 
. We need to find a way to support families with food security, healthcare, and education - it's not rocket science 
.