Action for Wednesday, 4/16/25
Cutting HeadStart threatens to hurt almost a thousand children in Southern Oregon, and the pain could start this week.
Federal funds were allocated by Congress for HeadStart programs around the country, but the Trump Administration has put a freeze on them. Southern Oregon’s HeadStart program is in the crosshairs right now, facing a total closure by April 18th unless that freeze is lifted. April 18th is THIS FRIDAY! Many of those Headstart programs have already been forced to reduce staff and cut hours, while Republicans dream of shutting down the whole program. If that’s not bad enough, Robert Kennedy Jr envisions additional cuts to offices and federal staff, as head of Health and Human Services. How far will he try to go? And is HeadStart still safe here in northwest Oregon?
(Use one or more of the bullet points below to compose your message)
- All children deserve the freedom of a good start to their education, regardless of their family’s circumstances. The HeadStart program is too good for our kids to lose!
- All children deserve the freedom to thrive, to have a good education so that they and their future families can prosper. That’s why we need to preserve HeadStart, as is!
- The legislative branch’s duty is to decide who gets funding; the executive’s is to disburse them. HeadStart deserves to remain fully funded so ALL our kids get a good start in life.
Senators Wyden & Merkley, Reps. Janelle Bynum, Maxine Dexter and/or Andrea Salinas Talking Points:
Hi. My name is _______ and I live in __________(include ZIP Code). I’m calling because I want you to:
- Speak out loudly about how funding freezes and cuts to HeadStart hurt all children’s freedom to learn–when children enter school without certain basic skills, all students are affected as teachers work to catch them up.
- Demand that the funds, which have already been appropriated by Congress, be disbursed, OR find out the reason why they haven’t been.
- Call on the Oversight Committee to investigate why funding is being withheld from HeadStart! Do it NOW, before the end of the week! Our kids need programs like HeadStart, to help them get a head start on a productive life.
- Make sure we keep HeadStart! It’s a valuable program we need, that benefits EVERY kid, and we shouldn’t be trying to get rid of it.
- Federal funding freeze puts Southern Oregon HeadStart on brink of shutdown
- Central Oregon Daily – After layoffs and funding problems, HeadStart leaders fear what comes next
