Arizona, Washington, Colorado, others urge Congress to fully fund Head Start

(The Center Square) - Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is urging members of the U.S. House and Senate to fully fund the Head Start program in the next fiscal year.

Hobbs joined 15 other governors in signing a letter that went to the leaders of appropriation committees in both houses. According to the governors' letter, Head Start “provides vital early childhood programming” for low-income families. Head Start has been around since 1965, and of the 800,000 children who are served today nationwide, more than 17,000 are in Arizona.

Hobbs called it a lifeline for those children and their families.

“I am proud to stand with governors across the country who believe that we must fully fund Head Start programs,” said Hobbs in a press release. “Any attempts to cut the program could lead to a huge disruption, not just to preschool access, but to parents who need to work.”

Examples of the “disruption” are described in the letter as straining childcare, the workforce, health, human services, and child safety systems. The governors added that “millions of parents” will be forced to choose between staying employed or leaving their job to care for children at the very time that a strong labor market is needed to grow the economy.

“We must invest in our youngest Arizonans, their parents, and the hardworking educators who help them succeed,” said Hobbs.

All the governors who signed the letter are Democrats. They are Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam.

The letter was addressed directly to Reps. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, and Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, as well as U.S. Sens Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Patty Murray, D-Washington. Cole and Collins chair the appropriations committees in their chambers. DeLauro and Murray are the ranking members of the same committees.