SPOKANE, Wash. — The Washington State Head Start Association recently joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that delayed funding and staff cuts threaten the future of the vital childcare program.
Parents across the state say they rely on Head Start for affordable childcare that allows them to work or attend school, and many fear they have no alternatives if the program is cut.
“Childcare is so hard to come by, especially for a single parent,” said Katrina Peters, a Head Start parent.
The lawsuit accuses the administration of undermining Head Start, which serves low-income families and children with special needs.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Washington Head Start, others suing Trump administration over cuts to program
“The flexibility to know that we can drop our kids off before we had to be at an 8 a.m. class or to be at work at 8 a.m. is essential,” said Katrina Gardner, another Head Start parent.
In Spokane, parents say daycare is often too expensive.
“Normal childcare is over $1,500 just for one kid, per month. It’s not something even a middle-class family could afford, much less low-income families,” Peters said.
Parents said they are especially concerned about finding care for children with special needs if Head Start is eliminated.
Ashly Hyatt, whose two children are in Early Head Start, said the program has been a lifeline.
“They were on physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and feeding therapies. They’re two years old now and they’re just down to speech therapy once a month,” Hyatt said.
She said she would likely have to quit school if she couldn’t enroll her kids in Head Start.
RELATED COVERAGE: Uncertainty looms over Head Start programs as federal funding concerns grow
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