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Welch pushes back on proposed Head Start changes
RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermont Sen. Peter Welch stopped by Rutland County Head Start Tuesday to push back against the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the early education program.
The changes could shave $2.2 billion off the program’s $12 billion budget, requiring it to follow individual states’ rules over education requirements and reduce oversight at the federal level.
Welch says he thinks it shows what he calls misaligned priorities. “Parents need child care, kids need child care, and employers need child care. You can’t have an economy --and family security -- without good childcare. It’s a huge challenge, but we’ve got to expand child care, not diminish it,” Welch said.
Head Start advocates say the changes could reduce support for parents and create bigger class sizes. The Trump administration believes the changes can open over 200,000 new spots with the proposed savings.
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