BUTTE — Parents, educators, and even some schoolchildren from the local Head Start in Butte gathered on one of the city's busiest intersections to protest news that the program may be closing.
"You know it’s really—it makes me sad because they’re just trying to defund it and everything else ... and then the only people that are really going to suffer are the children," says Kim Bowen.
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Bowen has been a Head Start teacher for 14 years, but before she was a teacher, she was the parent of Head Start school children.
She says along with providing a structured learning environment and meals, Head Start helps children learn social and emotional skills that give them a boost when they enter elementary school.
"That’s the main objective of Head Start is to help children to build that foundation so when they get into grade school, they can learn what they need to learn," says Bowen.
According to a report by the Associated Press, President Trump’s draft budget proposal would dramatically deepen cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that oversees Head Start.
"So the federal government is considering not giving Head Start any funding in their next budget starting in October," says Bridgette Raybould, a family engagement coordinator and coach for the Butte Head Start.
Raybould says the program serves 125 children locally and employs almost 40 people, but there are over 3,000 kids in Montana who utilize Head Start Services. She says statewide, the program stands to lose over $60 million.
"People should care about educating children because they are our future. This is the future of America, and Head Start helps the entire population by helping these kids get the best Head Start that they can get," says Raybould.
Raybould says ultimately it will come down to Congress to decide the fate of Head Start, and concerned parents or citizens should contact their Montana Representatives with their concerns.
