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NATCHEZ — The potential move of the Trump administration to carve out $12 billion in funding for Head Start programs nationwide could save taxpayers money, but at what cost?

Head Start, a nationally used early childhood education program for low-income families, serves more than 800,000 children in the U.S. from birth to age five and also pregnant women. Local Head Start centers serve hundreds of families in Miss-Lou.

The Thompson Head Start, now run by Mississippi Action for Progress Inc. and directed by Dr. Carrie Ford Campbell, serves 232 children and families with over 50 employees, said center manager Royal Hill.

“We also purchase a lot of goods, from tires to gas to utilities. It’s impactful in a lot of different ways, but (our service to) children and families allows parents to go to work and have great expectations for their children,” he said.

Alisha Green, Head Start Director for Concordia Parish, Louisiana, said the parish Head Start serves 132 children and families, including 53 in Vidalia and 79 in Clayton. There are also 50-plus staffers between both sites. Green also said the availability of other types of childcare in Concordia Parish is limited.

“We have a five-year grant cycle and just renewed our grant cycle for the next five years,” she said, meaning the Concordia centers won’t feel the effects of federal budget changes as soon as other Head Start centers nearing the end of their grant cycle.

The proposal to eliminate Head Start funding was tucked into a 64-page draft budget proposal that seeks deep cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start. Granted, this budget is still in a preliminary phase as the White House prepares to send a budget proposal to Congress for final approval. Congress may still choose to ignore the president’s request to end Head Start, which is part of the administration’s plan to overhaul education in the United States with the goal of returning control to states and increasing parental control.

Green said she became involved in Head Start because she wanted to be part of her own child’s education early on. She went from being a volunteer to eventually becoming the director.

As such, “I’ve had the honor of watching children take their first steps toward learning in a school environment,” she said. “With the current admin considering a budget that eliminates funding for Head Start, it’s not right. It threatens a program that has been around since 1965. Cutting it to zero means not only closing classrooms locally, but it affects children nationwide.”

Green said Head Start “isn’t just about early childhood education. It’s a lifeline” for many families who work but don’t earn enough to afford childcare, affecting hundreds of families in the Miss Lou who fall right into that income bracket.

Reducing access to Head Start could also jeopardize the future success of children and prevent parents from going into the workforce, she said.

“We want to urge our policymakers and leaders in Congress to reconsider the proposal to eliminate Head Start funding altogether,” she said.