Head Start escapes elimination in 2026 proposed budget from Trump administration

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The head advocacy group for Head Start expressed cautious optimism this week after the White House apparently reversed its plans to eliminate all funding for the early child care program for working families with low incomes.

The elimination of Head Start was not listed in the proposed $1.7 trillion budget made public on May 2. The U.S. Office of Management Budget reported a $163 billion cut in non-defense, discretionary spending, a 22.6% reduction from 2025 levels.

The Trump administration had previously said it would eliminate funding for the program as part of its budget tightening.

Head Start is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services. A HHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a call for comment.

In 2024, the total Head Start budget was $12.2 billion.

“We are of course pleased that Head Start is not on the list for elimination and we recognize that all of our advocacy efforts and all of our work with our legislators must continue,” said Kara McFalls, executive director of the Pennsylvania Head Start Association. “While this is positive and indicates there is potentially some understanding of the value and importance of Head Start and how it shows up in our communities, we recognize that we have no certainty. We will continue our work of advocating and educating the community and our legislators on the importance of Head Start.”

During its 60 years in existence, Head Start has always enjoyed bipartisan support, she said.

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia, said in a statement he was pleased that “public pushback” apparently kept cuts to Head Start out of the president’s budget proposal.

“I will remain vigilant and will keep fighting to protect funding for this important program that helps so many children and families in Philadelphia and across the Commonwealth, the same as I have been doing with protecting people’s Social Security benefits from excessive ‘clawbacks’ from the Trump Administration – we’ve had partial success there and we are going to keep fighting!” Evans said.

The congressman will hold a news conference May 16 in Washington, D.C. about Head Start funding with Children First PA.

In March, the Early Learning PA coalition commissioned a survey conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research that showed 83% of Pennsylvania voters support using state and/or federal funds to pay for Head Start.

“Early learning opportunities provide critical cognitive, social and emotional development, and Head Start offers those foundational skills to low-income families,” Deidra Vachier, president and CEO of Community Services for Children, said in a statement.

Earlier this year, five Head Start regional offices were closed, according to the Pennsylvania Head Start Association, but not the Regional III office, which serves the state. During that time, Head Start funding was temporarily frozen.

Head Start provides services to 750,000 children in all 50 states, including about 30,000 in the commonwealth. It has more than 800 centers and employs about 10,000 people in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Head Start Association.

In Philadelphia, residents can take advantage of PHLpreK, which provides the same services as Head Start but it is open to all city children, regardless of income, said Councilman Anthony Phillips, who represents northwest Philadelphia.

PHLpreK is funded by the School District of Philadelphia and the city, with help from the Philadelphia beverage tax that was passed in 2017, championed by then-Mayor Jim Kenney.

The tax on nonalcoholic sugary drinks generates about $75 million a year.

“PHLpreK provides no-cost, full-day child care for eligible families for between 3- to 5-year-olds,” Phillips said.

Eliminating Head Start, he said, “would have a devastating impact on our children.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the correct federal funding figures for the Trump administration’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.