Sen. Gary Peters

By Journal Staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters joined a group of his Senate colleagues in demanding answers about the closure of five regional Head Start Offices across the country, including Chicago’s Region Five office which serves Michigan’s Head Start centers. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Peters made clear that this decision will negatively impact the early educational programs that children and families depend on, while also cutting jobs for dedicated educators.

“This announcement – which contained no guidance for grantees in impacted regions – has created confusion and chaos for Head Start centers, employees, and families across various states, including those in Region Five (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and WIsconsin),” Peters and his colleagues wrote.

The Head Start program serves in-need children and their families across both rural and urban communities in Michigan. There are currently 620 Head Start centers operating in Michigan, with capacity to serve more than 20,500 children ages three to five in Head Start programs and close to 7,000 enrollees in Early Head Start programs.

“Head Start centers run on tight budgets, and without a regional office, grantees will not be able to receive approval to draw down funds, forcing many to consider laying off staff – or even shuttering their doors,” the senators wrote.

They continued: “This will have devastating effects for children, families, child care workers, and the economy if children fail to receive care, child care staff lose their jobs, and parents cannot go to work.”

Peters concluded the letter by demanding answers about how the closure of the Region Five office in Chicago will impact the Head Start grantees across Michigan and families that rely on this program.

A copy of the letter is available on Sen. Peters’ official website.