The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups have sued the Trump administration over what they say is a plan to illegally dismantle Head Start, the federal program that funds early education for America’s youngest and poorest children.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington State on Monday, was filed on behalf of Head Start associations and parent groups in several states. It argues that the Trump administration cannot reduce or eliminate Head Start, because the program is funded by Congress.
Head Start, a $12 billion-a-year program, provides child care, preschool and other services for children in poverty from birth to age 5, before they start formal school.
The program, under the Department of Health and Human Services, has been subject to spending cuts and layoffs as part of President Trump’s efforts to reduce federal spending.
The Trump administration is expected to propose eliminating the Head Start program as part of its 2026 budget, which could be released as soon as this week, according to a series of draft documents reviewed by The New York Times. The White House previously said that no final funding decisions have been made, and any plan would require the support of Congress.
But Jennesa Calvo-Friedman, a lawyer with the A.C.L.U, said the Trump administration had already found ways to diminish Head Start “through a series of executive actions which make it harder and harder for Head Start programs to stay open.”
A spokeswoman for H.H.S. declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing ongoing litigation.
The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration has withheld and reduced spending for Head Start, money that is appropriated by Congress. From January to mid-April, H.H.S. spent nearly $1 billion less for Head Start than in the same period the previous year, the lawsuit says.
The administration also abruptly closed half of Head Start’s regional offices and cut their employees, as part of other layoffs at H.H.S. at the start of this month.
That has resulted in funding delays and other hiccups, which caused at least one child care provider in Washington State to temporarily close and forced Head Start employees in Oregon to take unpaid days off, according to the lawsuit.
The suit also takes issue with a Trump administration ban on diversity, equity and inclusion, which it says conflicts with other requirements needed for Head Start to effectively serve a diverse population of families, including many children with disabilities.
The lawsuit argues the Trump administration is violating the constitutional separation of powers between Congress and the president, an issue that has been at the center of President Trump’s second term, as he has sought to exert his power over federal spending.
“Head Start is a program established by law,” said Lori Rifkin, a lawyer with Impact Fund, which filed the lawsuit along with the A.C.L.U. “It is illegal for the Trump administration to unilaterally end it, or alter its basic function and purpose.”
The Head Start program, which was created in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty, sends federal dollars to local child care and preschool providers in communities all over the country. About 30 percent of participants live in rural areas, according to the lawsuit.
The program includes dental care, meals and other services beyond early childhood education.
Apoorva Mandavilli and Tony Romm contributed reporting
