After the White House’s Office of Management and Budget issued a memo calling for a temporary freeze of funding, local early childhood education programs through Head Start were briefly closed last Wednesday.
Several Lansing-area locations laid off teachers amid confusion of whether the order included Head Start. At the same time, the organization lost access to their payment management system.
When Head Start leaders received clarification that their organization would not be affected, programs resumed the next day with returning staff. The memo was later rescinded.
”Clarifying that gave me a great deal of relief,” said Nolana Nobles, Associate Director of Capital Area Community Services Head Start. “But it also taught me, as a leader, that I need to be really, really prepared for any federal action that might hinder my ability to serve the community that we serve.”
But despite the program resuming after just 24 hours, local Head Start teacher Tori Chambers still feels an air of uncertainty.
”We just don't know right now, we're living in a time where we don't know what's next,” she said. “Everything is changing hour to hour. And it's just, it's really nerve wracking and you just don't know.”
While an across-the-board freeze in federal grants and loans is not currently in effect, President Donald Trump has indicated he’ll propose cuts to many programs.
Despite a hectic few days, Nobles says she feels confident in the community's desire to support Head Start after receiving an outpouring of calls from partnering agencies offering assistance.