The following alert is copied directly from the latest newsletter of our partners at the YWCA of Asheville:

Tell Congress: Don't Eliminate Head Start!

One of the features of the 2026 Federal budget proposed by the current administration is the elimination of Head Start, a $12 billion a year program that provides child care, preschool and other services for children in poverty from birth until they are school age. Even if the program is not eliminated, the current administration has issued a series of executive actions that make it harder for Head Start programs to remain open, according to the New York Times.

It may seem unthinkable that a program that impacts roughly 750,000 children and their families, and has provided comprehensive early childhood education for low-income families for 60 years, could be eliminated, but it is a very real possibility. Everyone who is interested in providing children with access to high-quality learning, health care, and nutrition assistance must raise their voice and tell their Congressional representatives to protect Head Start and early childhood education. Ill-considered, poorly thought-out, draconian cuts will not improve the lives of families, and it is important that government officials hear from as many of us as possible. Join YWCA USA in taking action by sending your message to Congress. Click the link below.