MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) denounced the Trump Administration for withholding nearly $20 million dollars in Head Start funding from Minnesota and vowed to push back against any attempt to shutter the program. Over 10,000 children in Minnesota access early childhood education and preschool with support from Head Start. Head Start programs serve all geographic regions of the state, but predominantly serve children in Greater Minnesota. The funding is being withheld as the Administration moves to close five Head Start regional offices, including the office that serves Minnesota. Reports indicate the Trump Administration hopes to shutter the Head Start program in their upcoming budget.
“The Administration is doubling down on threats to eliminate Head Start, which provides more than 10,000 kids in Minnesota with pre-school and child care. After the Administration withheld nearly $20 million in federal funds and closed Head Start regional offices, pre-schools across the country have already been forced to shutter – hurting our children, working parents, and local economies,” said Senator Klobuchar. “We need to invest in our kids, and we will continue to fight back against this effort to take away child care.”
“In the hierarchy of terrible ideas, this one is pretty high up there. Whenever I’m travelling the state, whether it be the Northland, Greater Minnesota or the Metro, nowhere do I hear that we have too much funding for early childhood education. In fact, I hear the exact opposite. And withholding Head Start funding only makes the situation worse,” said Senator Smith. “These are 10,000 children and their families that rely on Head Start to care for and educate young children, prepare them for kindergarten, provide health screenings and family support. Head Start supports not only kids, but parents and families too, so they can go to work and take steps to improve their lives. Without this funding, thousands of Minnesota families will suffer. I’m going to do everything in my power to get this money to Minnesota.”
In 2024, between January and April 15th, the federal government disbursed $68,262,114 for Head Start slots in Minnesota. During that same period this year, only $48,723,519 has been disbursed to the state, leading to a $19,538,595 shortfall, according to HHS data.
In late February, the Trump Administration fired scores of staff at the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care. Earlier this month, the Administration began trying to close five Head Start regional offices, including the office that serves Minnesota, which are responsible for ensuring high-quality Head Start services are available to families nationwide. Senators Klobuchar and Smith, along with five colleagues, sent a letter to the Administration demanding answers on how this will impact early childhood education in the Midwest. The Trump Administration has failed to articulate how it will ensure that uninterrupted services are available to families and that appropriate oversight will be carried out despite gutting the very offices charged with these responsibilities.
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