Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is speaking out about actions from the Trump administration that have hurt the Head Start program.
The program provides early childhood education and services and support to families.
At the PEACE, Inc. Merrick Head Start in Syracuse, Mitayah Donerlson spoke through tears about what the program has meant to her son, Kasen. He started there at age one, just six months after receiving a liver transplant.
"It's very hard to let people into your life and say, 'I need help,' and that's what I did, and they embraced me," said Donerlson.
Now, Kasen is five years old and thriving, just one of the many success stories Gillibrand said Head Start has created across the country.
The senator said federal funding allows Head Start centers across Onondaga County to serve more than 900 children, but the program is suffering under the Trump administration.
The Trump administration had indicated it plans to eliminate federal funding for Head Start. While the president’s proposed budget appears to preserve the program’s funding for now, Gillibrand said centers are already closing due to disruptions in funding and layoffs, and she calls the situation an outrage.
"We know what matters,” said Gillibrand. “I've heard from people across New York about how anxious they are about these changes. They know that Head Start is not just a lifeline. It's a promise for a brighter future."
Parents like Donerlson are hoping lawmakers think twice before making cuts.
"Don't do it,” she said. “The impact of canceling the schools would be so devastating, not just to the moms, but the communities, and also to the children."
