President Trump is considering a budget proposal that would eliminate funding for Head Start, an early education program that began in 1965 as part of the country’s “War on Poverty.” Head Start provides services for low-income children and families, including childcare, health and nutrition and more.
Jamey Whitney, CEO of the Southeast Kansas Community Action Program, or SEK-CAP, sees the program’s potential elimination as nothing short of devastating for southeast Kansas.
“We already have a childcare crisis,” noted Whitney. “Where would those families go for care? How would they find the services they need? This would also increase unemployment. You’d see families forced to leave the workforce to stay at home with children.”
SEK-CAP serves around 600 families in its 12-county area through Head Start. Its Iola location has 37 children enrolled in home-based and center-based care, with 14 full-time employees. The center is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and accepts infants and toddlers from birth through age 5. The program is free to eligible families.
Head Start is federally funded through the Administration for Children and Families, which is part of the Human Services. In 2024, Head Start provided care for over 790,000 children, including nearly 556,000 preschool children and more than 235,000 infants and toddlers nationwide.
Whitney estimated about 75% of SEK-CAP’s budget for Early Head Start, which serves birth through 2 years old, and Head Start, which covers ages 3-5, come from the federal government. “To receive those federal dollars, we have to do in-kind matches,” Whitney said. “In-kind matches can be volunteer time, donations, or parental involvement. We document, track and report all of our in-kind activities.”
The remaining funds come from the state of Kansas.
HEAD START is much more than childcare, and the program has a lasting impact.
In an email alerting staff of the potential cuts, Whitney wrote, “Decades of independent research have shown that children who participate in Head Start have enhanced physical health, improved social skills, and increased math, language and literacy skills that better prepare them for kindergarten, school, and positive long-term outcomes.”
Recent research shows that Head Start children have a higher likelihood of graduating high school, attending college, and receiving a post-secondary degree, license or certification.
A 2016 report from the Brookings Institute, a non-profit institute that conducts nonpartisan research, concluded: “We find that Head Start not only enhances eventual educational attainment, but also has a lasting positive impact on behavioral outcomes including self-control and self-esteem. Furthermore, it improves parenting practices — potentially providing additional benefits to the next generation.”
Whitney’s concern for a current childcare crisis is born out by the facts. In Allen County alone, 103 childcare spots are needed, while existing capacity meets only 81% of that demand, according to Child Care Aware of Kansas, a non-profit organization.
If Head Start were to disappear, said Whitney, many children could be sent into unlicensed care.
“We provide quality care for our children for at least eight hours a day,” Whitney said. “We provide meals, activities, and trained staff. We have cameras in every room, and we’re constantly watching our classrooms. I’m proud of the fact that we have an educated and committed staff.”
In Iola, SEK-CAP’s Susan Ramirez works as a family advocate. “We’re here to help families find the resources they need,” said Ramirez.
She works closely with area social service organizations to piece together care for families, whether that’s housing, employment, or healthcare. She’s certified to help families with presumptive eligibility, which allows individuals who are likely eligible for Medicaid or CHIP to get services immediately, without waiting for a full application to be processed.
