Press Release

Welch Joins 28 Colleagues in Demanding Answers and Action from HHS Officials on Disruption to Head Start Programs

Feb 3, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and 27 of their colleagues today in issuing a letter to Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Dorothy A. Fink, M.D., and Acting Director of the Office of Head Start, Captain Tala Hooban, expressing concern about the acute financial impacts and lingering uncertainty faced by Head Start programs across the country as a result of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo that imposed a government-wide hiring freeze.  

While the White House later clarified that Head Start would not be targeted by the funding freeze and the OMB later rescinded the memo, Head Start programs were temporarily unable to access the Payment Management System (PMS) to access their allocated federal funds. As a result, Head Start programs nationwide have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner—imperiling their ability to pay staff and keep educational and child care programs up and running.  

“Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards,” wrote the Senators. “This will impact children, families, and communities across the country, particularly the rural communities where these programs represent a large share of the child care options.” 

“Even if this issue extends beyond the Office of Head Start, we urge you to do everything in your power to ensure these programs receive transparent and frequent communication on the progress of their funds being released. Head Start programs operate on razor-thin margins and cannot survive without timely intervention. Children, families, employees, and educators all depend on these critical federal funds,” the Senators continued.  

In addition to Sens. Welch and Kaine, the letter was signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.),  Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.).  

The full text of the letter is available here and below.  

Dear Acting Secretary Dr. Fink and Acting Director Captain Hooban: 

We are writing today to raise ongoing, urgent concerns experienced by Head Start programs in our states and across the country. These concerns include (1) a lack of clarity on the status of renewals and notice of awards in the February 1st grant cycle, (2) delays in processing reimbursements through the Payment Management System (PMS), and (3) a lack of clear communication with grantees throughout this confusing time.  

We request your immediate action and assurance on the following: 

  • All requests for disbursements of funds submitted through PMS to be promptly processed to allow all Head Start programs to draw down federal funds; 
  • Programs on the February 1st grant cycle will be notified of their renewal or notice of award before the deadline to ensure no lapse in funding or program operations; and  
  • Transparent and consistent communication with Head Start programs to address the ongoing challenges.  

Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has provided critical early childhood education and comprehensive services to nearly 40 million low-income young children and their families in communities across the nation. Today, Head Start programs are supported by 250,000 staff to serve nearly 800,000 children across the nation. Head Start’s comprehensive services ensure children receive age-appropriate health care, dental care, immunizations, and health insurance, and they provide referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support. For the last several years, Congress has worked in a bipartisan manner to recognize this longstanding federal program’s important work by providing increased appropriations.  

Since the morning of Tuesday, January 28th, the Head Start community has faced immense uncertainty and disruptions by the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo (M-25-13), directing federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.” While the Trump Administration later clarified that Head Start would not be the target of the funding freeze many Head Start programs across the country were unable to access the PMS to draw down federal funds. PMS was reinstated, but programs across the country have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner. 

Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards. This will impact children, families, and communities across the country, particularly the rural communities where these programs represent a large share of the child care options.  

Even if this issue extends beyond the Office of Head Start, we urge you to do everything in your power to ensure these programs receive transparent and frequent communication on the progress of their funds being released. Head Start programs operate on razor-thin margins and cannot survive without timely intervention. Children, families, employees, and educators all depend on these critical federal funds.  

Once these issues are resolved, we request you provide responses to the following questions: 

  1. What factors contributed to delayed disbursements to Head Start programs through the Payment Management System? What steps will be taken to ensure such delays will not occur in the future? 
  2. How many Head Start programs were impacted by this delay and what were the immediate consequences on operations and services for children and families? 
  3. What factors led to the lack of communication about grant renewals and awards for the February 1st cycle? What steps will be taken to ensure timely notices in the future? 

We thank you for your quick attention to this matter.  

Sincerely, 

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