SEATTLE, Washington — On April 1, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ordered the closure of the Head Start office for Region 10 in Seattle, which covers Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
Although it doesn't reference the office closure directly, HHS issued a press release on March 27 titled "HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again" that references "dramatic restructuring" to coincide with President Donald J. Trump's executive order, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative.” A branch of HHS, Head Start falls under the purview of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Dr. Alex Adams of Idaho is set to lead the ACF, pending Senate confirmation.
In a written statement, the Executive Director of the Idaho Head Start Association, Megan Woller, said that staff at the office were abruptly placed on administrative leave until June "without any warning." She went on to explain that the administration had already frozen access to Head Start Funding in January and that program leaders are worried that current grants may be canceled permanently. According to Woller, Region 10 serves some 4,000 children and families in Idaho.
No information has been communicated to Head Start grantees. No plan for who will provide support has been shared, and the remaining regional offices are already understaffed. - Megan Woller, Executive Director Idaho Head Start Association
Head Start is a sizable federal program that oversaw a budget of more than $11 billion in 2023. Of those funds, approximately $31 million went to programs in the State of Idaho.
Woller says that out of the entire federal budget allotted for regional offices, Region 10 makes up less than 1% of the total.
U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-D) called the action reckless. "The staff at HHS field offices are not political. They are dedicated civil servants who have spent their careers focusing on helping people and communities access critical resources to promote food safety, provide employment services, support children and seniors who are food insecure, and deal with substance use and mental health disorders."
