140 Head Start programs that serve over 65,000 children are at risk of closure
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined 30 Senate Democrats to introduce the Keep Head Start Funded Act of 2025, legislation to keep Head Start programs open during Trump's government shutdown, protecting vital childcare and early learning services for 750,000 pre-school children, infants, and toddlers.
Head Start serves roughly 750,000 children. As of November 1st, nearly 10% of all Head Start children were at risk of losing access to their classrooms. According to the National Head Start Association, 20 programs have either partially or fully closed, impacting nearly 10,000 children. Additionally, there are 140 Head Start programs serving approximately 65,000 children with grants up for renewal in October and early November that have not received their fiscal year 2026 grant funding.
The Keep Head Start Funded Act of 2025 ensures that Head Start programs will keep running and receiving funding even if Congress hasn’t passed a new budget yet.
The Keep Head Start Funded Act of 2025 is led by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).
Full text of this legislation is available here.
###