MADISON, Wis. — This week, Gov. Tony Evers visited Head Start programs across the state facing the brunt of Donald Trump’s cruel and illegal federal funding freeze. Despite federal judge orders temporarily blocking the freeze, many Head Start locations throughout Wisconsin are still unable to access funding, leaving kids and their families in the lurch. 

While Donald Trump attempts to eliminate checks and balances to give himself sole power to disburse federal funds, Gov. Tony Evers is fighting to ensure Wisconsin’s working families have access to the child care programs they rely on. 

See more coverage from Gov. Evers’ tour below:

WSAW News Channel 7: “The future of Head Start is in flux. The statewide child care program is struggling in the wake of the federal funding freeze announced by the Trump administration in late January. According to the governor’s office, six of the 39 Head Start programs in Wisconsin couldn’t access their payments last week. That includes Wood County Head Start in Wisconsin Rapids with 245 children in their program. ‘If this isn’t resolved in a few days, we’re gonna have to close,’ Wood County Head Start Director John Martin said. ‘It would be an unbelievable shame if the president decides we’re done with this, mom’s and dad’s can take care of it,’ Gov. Evers said. ‘That would be horrible.’ The domino effect of a potential closure can be dire, leaving families with unwanted decisions. ‘If we can’t pay our staff, that means we can’t remain open,’ Wood County Head Start Board President Carrie Jarosinski said. ‘That means families can’t drop their children off here when they go to work.’ According to Martin, 86 percent of their families are working class. The risk of missing work because they have no child care could spell trouble in a hurry.”
 
WEAU: “After talking to local leaders and Western Dairyland about the unexpected freeze in funds, the governor told the press he is asking for $480 million to go toward child care programs as part of his biennial budget proposal. And, he is calling on all legislators to support efforts to fund child care programs. ‘I don’t care if you are Republican or Democrat, you understand how important early childhood education is. If you don’t, you need to visit some of these places and see,’ said Governor Evers. Last week, WEAU reported Western Dairyland had to use $300,000 of its discretionary funds to meet costs associated with its Head Start program. It has nine facilities in total. Most of those child care centers serve rural communities like ones in Buffalo County, Jackson County and Trempeleau County.”

Racine County Eye: “On Monday, Jenny Mauer, executive director of the Wisconsin Head Start Association, said programs that made draws from the federal portal last week that were not fulfilled have now received their funding. ‘We are waiting to see how things go this week,’ Mauer told the Wisconsin Examiner. During the visit, Evers stressed that programs like Head Start are essential not just for children’s development but also for keeping families economically secure. He warned that without reliable funding, both childcare staff and the families they serve could face serious economic hardship. ‘This program has been here for 60 years, and there is bipartisan agreement that it’s needed and it works,’ Evers told Acelero Learning staff after his tour of the facility. ‘But there’s no guarantee it’s going to be here much longer if Congress doesn’t act. We’re already seeing delays and funding freezes as they try to decide whether the program works—it does.’”

19 News: “‘I’ve always felt that at the state level we just do what we can do and do the right thing. And we’re going to continue doing that regardless of what happens with the federal government. But you’d like the federal government to be a partner. The unknowns in Washington D.C. certainly impact our work on a daily basis. That said, with the legislature we’re in the same place. We want to do what’s best for Wisconsin and we’re going to do that,’ Evers said. La Crosse’s Margaret Annett Center was one of several Head Start programs affected by the freeze in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has 39 Head Start child care providers serving 16,000 children across the state and employing about 4,500 staff according to the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Head Start Association.”

Civic Media: “Governor Evers says his upcoming biennial budget proposal includes $480 million for child care programs. Much like the rest of the state, Northwest Wisconsin has struggled with a lack of affordable housing and affordable child care. While discussing plans for future housing and retail projects recently, Barron County officials said there are as many as 1,000 open positions in the area that can’t be filled because there aren’t enough housing and child care options to attract workers. Governor Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul have also announced Wisconsin has joined a coalition of states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to block the federal funding freeze.” 

WIZM: “Evers is seeking more federal money to keep Head Start services for young children in Wisconsin from making severe budget cuts. ‘My concern is watching things unfold in Washington, D.C., it’s apparent that the Congress is gonna be a do-nothing Congress, and let the president do what he wants to do,’ the governor told reporters in La Crosse. Evers says many parents may be prevented from getting jobs, if they need to stay home and take care of kids. He called on Washington to avoid the cuts in child care funding for the states.”