1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’m writing today to urge you to oppose, and Vote NO on all attempt to cut programs for low-income families like Head Start. Head Start as you know is a vital program providing comprehensive services to low-income families with young children, including early education, healthcare, nutrition assistance, and family support. Proposed federal funding cuts would devastate this lifeline for working families struggling to make ends meet. Access to quality early childhood education and care is crucial for child development and allowing parents to maintain employment, which used to be important. Forcing people to take multiple jobs to support their families is cruel and immoral by any standard. Without Head Start, many families would face impossible choices between paying for childcare or leaving the workforce entirely. This would compound existing economic hardships and increase costs to society through reduced earnings and tax revenue. Homelessness would likely increase across a wide demographic, so would child endangerment cases increase, as well as minor crimes, simply to feed and clothe their families. The return on investment for such programs is well proven and accepted. Robust research shows the long-term benefits of early intervention programs like Head Start, leading to higher educational attainment, employment, and even better health outcomes later in life. Cutting funding now would undermine decades of progress and take away a proven path toward upward mobility for millions of children and families. Inequality and unrest will no doubt follow. I urge you, in the name of common decency to oppose these proposed cuts to Head Start. Instead, I’m in favor of increased investment in this critical anti-poverty program that strengthens communities by empowering working families and giving all children an equal opportunity to thrive. Oppose cuts to Head Start and similar programs, it’s the right things to do.