U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, along with Senator Tim Kaine and 27 other Senate colleagues, have expressed concerns to the Department of Health and Human Services regarding financial challenges faced by Head Start programs. The issues stem from an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo that initiated a government-wide hiring freeze, affecting the timely disbursement of funds.
In fiscal year 2024, Hawaii received over $35 million for its Head Start programs. Despite later clarifications that these programs would not be affected by the funding freeze, there were delays in accessing federal funds through the Payment Management System (PMS). This has jeopardized the ability of these programs to pay staff and maintain operations.
The senators emphasized the critical nature of this issue: “Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards.” They highlighted that this situation impacts children, families, and communities nationwide, especially in rural areas where such programs are crucial.
They urged Acting Secretary Dorothy A. Fink and Acting Director Captain Tala Hooban to ensure transparent communication about fund releases. The letter calls for immediate action to process all fund requests promptly, notify programs about grant renewals before deadlines, and maintain consistent communication with grantees.
Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has been vital in providing early childhood education to nearly 40 million low-income children across the U.S., supported by 250,000 staff members serving approximately 800,000 children annually.
The senators also requested explanations for delayed disbursements via PMS and lack of communication regarding grant renewals. They seek assurance that such issues will not recur in future cycles.
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