California legislators, including both Democrats and Republicans, are rallying against potential cuts to the Head Start program by the Trump administration. Nearly 1,000 Head Start employees in California have already received pink slips due to funding uncertainties. Legislators expressed their concerns in a letter to the state’s congressional delegation, urging them to protect the program that serves over 80,000 children and employs nearly 27,000 people in the state.
The Trump administration’s budget proposal for 2026 has sparked fears about the future of Head Start, despite not explicitly cutting its funding. The closure of several regional offices of the Department of Health and Human Services, including one in San Francisco, has further fueled these concerns. According to KQED, Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D–Sunnyvale) highlighted the impact on his district, where some Head Start workers have already been warned about potential job losses.
Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (R–Modoc County) emphasized the program’s importance to rural communities, recalling her own experience with Head Start as a child. “I fully believe that we need to cut our budget and cut waste,” she said, “I just hope that we don’t do that on the backs of our low-income working families and our children.”
The potential elimination of Head Start would affect approximately 800,000 low-income children nationwide. The Los Angeles Times reported that the administration’s draft budget proposal suggests defunding Head Start and phasing it out by 2026. This move contradicts President Trump’s campaign promise to support families and could severely impact the social safety net for low-income families.
Despite the administration’s stance, Head Start has historically enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress. Last year, 33 House Republicans signed a letter urging for maximum funding for the program.
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