For Immediate Release
Jan. 28, 2025
WASHINGTON – On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump announced that his administration would pause federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance. The announcement sent shock waves across the country. On Tuesday, Jan. 28, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan temporarily halted the administration’s funding freeze. By late Wednesday morning, the White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded its proposal.
Human rights advocates, including some affiliated with the Raising Child Care Fund, noted the chaos the proposal had on families and communities. They voiced concerns over the impact of cuts to lifeline programs such as Medicaid, Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and more:
“Children are not Democrats nor Republicans,” said Tyrone Scott, Director of Government and External Affairs, First Up. “They are simply looking to us, the adults, to make decisions that give them the best possibilities for their futures. The proposed freezes and political gesturing do not do that. We urge all elected and appointed officials to reach out to actual experts and use their input to make decisions. Campaign slogans and rhetoric do not help children. High quality education, healthcare, food security and housing help children.”
“Freezes to federal funding that cuts access to food, shelter, healthcare, or other essential support services will be an economic disaster for working women and nonbinary people of color,” said Mica Whitfield, 9to5 Co-President/CEO. “One missed payment is an unacceptable loss for hard-working people. Any gaps in service or payments will devastate working families. While hiding behind eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, the administration wants to destabilize the very people they seek to silence– people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and women who are already navigating systemic inequities in an economy designed to leave them behind.”
“For small businesses across America, the administration’s decision to freeze all federal funding could be catastrophic. Federal funding serves as the backbone of many community programs and initiatives that small businesses rely on to thrive,” said Richard Trent, Main Street Alliance Executive Director. “Without it, essential services like infrastructure development, workforce training, and childcare programs—services that allow small businesses to operate and grow—will crumble and the ripple effects will hit Main Street hard. As a member of the Wisconsin Care Coalition, Main Street Alliance stands with other coalition members like 9to5 Wisconsin and Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN), in highlighting the severe consequences this freeze will have on small businesses and the broader community.”
“”Parents, child care providers, and early childhood educators across Ohio are uniting to demand real investments in child care and early childhood education because every child deserves a strong start,” said Tami Lunan, Organizing Director, The Care Economy Organizing Project in Ohio. “Programs like Head Start, Medicaid, and SNAP aren’t optional; they are the foundation of healthy child development and family stability. Freezing federal funds for these critical programs is irresponsible. It directly undermines the care and education systems that working families rely on, putting our youngest and most vulnerable children at risk. We need long-term funding solutions that support those who care for and educate our children, not political decisions that jeopardize their future. Ohio families deserve better, and we won’t stop organizing until every child has access to the quality care and early learning they need to thrive.”
“We knew this was coming,” said Marina Marcou-O’Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education. “His goal is to create chaos, fear, and helplessness. By spreading lies and misinformation, he wants to erode our trust in government, so that our collective efforts to fight back are lost in the confusion. Here are the facts: Congress—not the president—controls federal spending. New York State has significant power to protect and support our communities. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Call your Member of Congress and demand they reject this. Tell the Governor and Mayor that complacency is not an option. And before you do anything else—remember to breathe.”
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The Alliance for Quality Education is a coalition mobilizing communities across the state to keep New York true to its promise of ensuring a high-quality public education to all students regardless of zip code.
The Raising Child Care Fund (RCCF) is an initiative of ECFC that pools private foundation dollars to give grants to groups that lift up the voices of families, early educators, and allies—working alongside them to build powerful coalitions to transform child care and expand equity.
The CEO Project organizes parents, child care providers, and teachers to take collective action on issues that impact the care economy in Ohio.
9to5 fights for worker justice and family and community sustainability and is building power in our communities. We have active voter engagement, paid leave, utility justice, climate justice, childcare, anti-discrimination, and anti-harassment campaigns throughout the state of Georgia. Our members span from the Metro Atlanta area to Southwest and Central Georgia, and Savannah, Georgia.
