One of Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators has responded to recent cuts in federal funding for the state’s Head Start programming.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin has released a statement explaining that more than $35 million in federal funding for Wisconsin Head Start centers has stopped, a 50 percent decrease from this time last year.
Sen. Baldwin also stated that the Trump Administration has withheld nearly $1 billion in Head Start funding nationwide, which has caused education centers to close.
This comes after a brief federal funding freeze by the Trump Administration earlier in the year caused the Waukesha Head Start Center to close, leaving 250 families without childcare.
On the funding cut, Sen. Baldwin said, “Before our very eyes, Donald Trump is defunding Head Start – kicking kids out of the classrooms, laying off teachers and caretakers, and leaving many parents with no option for child care.”
In 2024, Wisconsin received $69.5 million in Head Start funding from the start of the year through April 15th.
This year, that number sits at $34.5 million through the same period of time.
These cuts in funding for the program by the Trump Administration has also resulted in the closure of five regional Head Start offices across the country.
This includes the Region 5 office in Chicago, which serves centers in Wisconsin.
