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Q&A

Head Start funding concerns and anticipated changes for FY '26

1:16:55

·

117 sec

Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about the anticipated funding level for Head Start in FY '26 and potential changes or reductions in the executive budget. First Deputy Chancellor Daniel Weisberg explains that they are in the process of applying for the next round of funding, with no decision date set by the federal government yet. He discusses potential changes, including possible funding reductions or reallocation directly to providers.

The DOE is doing contingency planning for potential funding cuts.
They are considering 'aging down' some programs to meet the demand for younger children.
If funding is significantly cut, there may be service reductions.

Rita Joseph

1:16:55

I want to talk about Head Start.

1:16:57

Head Start is a critical federal funding stream for New York City funds providing child care and early childhood education for families in need.

1:17:05

With the challenges we face on a federal level, what is the anticipated funding level for Head Start for FY '26?

1:17:11

Are you anticipating any changes or reduction to the number of dollars for Head Starts in the executive budget?

Daniel Weisberg

1:17:19

So Head Start, Chair, as you know, and I'll ask my colleague Monique Scales to jump in a second from our early childhood division.

1:17:29

Federal funding stream, we are in the middle of the process of applying for the next round of funding.

1:17:36

We don't have a date from the Feds yet on when we'll get a decision on that.

1:17:42

We do expect that there will be changes.

1:17:44

And the changes could take several forms.

1:17:48

One is obviously just a reduction in the number of dollars we get.

1:17:52

The other piece of head start, as you well know, some of if we do get a reduction, which we hope we don't, but if that reduction is balanced by money going directly to providers, then the impact to community will be lessened.

1:18:08

So we're gonna be looking at that very, very closely.

1:18:11

We are doing contingency planning in our early childhood division to look at that.

1:18:16

But even if the funding is not reduced, one of the things that we are doing to try to better meet the need of community is looking to age down some of these programs, where we see that it's the younger children where there's a bigger demand and we're locked into four year olds, for example.

1:18:37

So there will be changes.

1:18:38

We'll have to work with our providers very carefully to make sure that those are positive changes for community.

1:18:44

And obviously if the amount of funds is cut significantly, there will have to be service reductions.

1:18:51

So that's something we're very concerned about.

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Current Head Start enrollment and vacancy concerns