NAEYC Statement on OMB Order to Freeze Federal Aid
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Federal funds support each of our communities in many important ways. You made this clear in the last 24 hours by sharing powerful stories of exactly what these funds do and why they matter to children, families, and educators.
That helped get to where we are right now: the Office of Management Budget has rescinded their order, originally announced Monday, to halt federal spending across the government. You can read the statement below from Michelle Kang, NAEYC’s CEO, about the confusion and concern this order caused in the ECE field and among families. And there is still a lot you can do to help policymakers, the press, and the public understand the impacts – whether they happened yesterday, are still happening today, or might be happening tomorrow.
An unprecedented order by the Office of Management and Budget to stop Congressionally-approved federal spending across the government is leading to widespread confusion and concern for early childhood educators and families across the country.
A child care program administrator in Texas was told that he won't be able to get funding to feed children in his program. A teacher at a Head Start program in Ohio wasn't sure she'd have a job next week.
These stories are real. Share yours here.
When federal funding is halted, children, families, and educators are hurt - and as we hear their stories and understand the impacts, NAEYC grows more deeply concerned. Programs like Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, CCAMPIS, CACFP, and many more, have been funded to provide critical services to families thanks to strong bipartisan support in Congress.
As legal challenges to this order play out, including a temporary order by a judge to halt implementation until Monday afternoon, we urge the Administration to (1) rescind this order, (2) ensure programs have access to funding, and instead (3) work with Congress to expand access to the supports educators, young children and families need to thrive.
We urged the administration to rescind the order. That has happened. But with an ongoing lack of clarity, including reports from states that some programs are still unable to draw down their funding, we continue to urge the Administration to first ensure access is restored and then work with Congress to expand it.
NAEYC will continue to provide updated information, resources, and advocacy opportunities. And you can continue to help people understand the importance of federal funding and explain clearly how it impacts your program, your work and the families you serve.
For Immediate Release
January 28, 2025
An unprecedented order by the Office of Management and Budget to stop Congressionally-approved federal spending across the government is leading to widespread confusion and concern for early childhood educators and families across the country. A child care program administrator in Texas was told that he won't be able to get funding to feed children in his program. A teacher at a Head Start program in Ohio wasn't sure she'd have a job next week. When federal funding is halted, children, families, and educators are hurt - and as we hear their stories and understand the impacts, NAEYC grows more deeply concerned. Programs like Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, CCAMPIS, CACFP, and many more, have been funded to provide critical services to families thanks to strong bipartisan support in Congress. As legal challenges to this order play out, including a temporary order by a judge to halt its implementation until Monday afternoon, we urge the Administration to rescind this order, ensure programs have access to funding, and instead work with Congress to expand access to the supports educators, young children and families need to thrive.