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Trump Administration Proposes Defunding Head Start and LIHEAP in FY26 Budget

Draft budget cuts target programs aiding 800,000 children and 6 million low-income households, while Congress holds final authority over funding decisions.

Children play at an Inspire Development Center in Washington state in 2018. Inspire Development Centers had to shutter its Head Start and Early Head Start programs this week after not receiving millions in federal funding.
A child from the Hyde Park Head Start program is silhouetted as he plays underneath a parachute during a celebration of 50 years of the Head Start program on the Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts June 9, 2015.
Kristin Gaitheron is photographed at her home on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Beech Grove Ind. Gaitheron is one of many AES Indiana customers who have had billing issues since AES "updated" its billing system. Last month, AES IN withdrew Gaither's bill from her bank account 10 times. That means the utility withdrew more than $1,000 from her account when her bill was just over $100.
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Overview

  • The Trump administration's FY26 budget draft proposes eliminating federal funding for Head Start and LIHEAP, programs serving vulnerable populations.
  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently laid off all LIHEAP staff and shut down regional Head Start offices, disrupting service delivery nationwide.
  • Approximately $378 million in current-year LIHEAP funds remain undisbursed, leaving states unable to meet urgent heating and cooling needs for 750,000 households.
  • Local Head Start centers, including Inspire Development in Washington, have closed or reduced services due to delayed federal funding disbursements.
  • Bipartisan lawmakers have urged HHS to reinstate staff and release withheld funds, emphasizing Congress's role in determining the programs' future.