Head Start, an early childhood education program, hosts about 500 students a year with a budget of at least $9.1 million in federal funding in Champaign County.
The program is run by the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission and assists low-income families in educating their young children. The Early Head Start program offers educational services to toddlers, infants and expecting parents, while the Head Start program assists children aged three to five.
Amid discussions of cuts to federal aid, the commission’s Early Childhood Education program, which includes Head Start and Early Head Start, “has been able to draw down federal grant funds thus far,” the commission’s Chief Executive Officer Dalitso Sulamoyo said in an email statement in February.
Drawing down funds means the commission is still able to access and utilize awarded funds, which are granted in five-year timeframes, in increments as needed under an approved yearly proposal. Funds can be drawn down within a few days in order to pay for expenses like rent, payroll, food and more.
The National Head Start Association reported in early February that dozens of programs were locked out of awarded funds in the aftermath the federal funding freeze, but its Deputy Director Tommy Sheridan confirmed in March the issue was addressed and “we have not heard of programs running into the same issue since then.”
Sulamoyo did not return emails or phone calls after his statement.
Altogether, Champaign County receives more than $32.1 million in federal grants annually, and it is unclear how much of those funds could be slashed or frozen under federal proposals.
The county was last federally audited for the 2023 fiscal year, which ended Dec. 31, 2023. According to the audit, Champaign County, of which the commission was the auditee, the $32.1 million was granted through 95 federal awards from 34 federal programs.
The top three awards make up approximately 74.8% of all federal funding that the commission received. These awards, totaling over $24 million combined, include grants for the Head Start Program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and funds for COVID-19 financial recovery.
Sulamoyo said in his statement: “Funding for our LIHEAP program has also been unaffected at this point. We are grateful that services to our children and families have so far been uninterrupted.”
LIHEAP is a low-income energy assistance program that provides financial aid for utility costs. The program also offers educational services to participants on cost-saving techniques for energy conservation. Champaign County received over $7.8 million through 6 awards towards the program, according to the audit.
According to the commission, the energy program served 7,232 households, distributing over $3.1 million in funds for utility payments for the 2023-2024 program year. Further, LIHEAP partnered with electric and gas provider Ameren through the Ameren Cares program to fund an additional 85 households on average.
COVID-19 financial recovery funds also contributed significantly to the federal grant monetary total, bringing in over $7 million to Champaign County over the course of two awards, according to the audit.
The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law in 2021, provided funds to local and state governments to support COVID-19 health responses, balance out revenue loss for families and businesses, and address inadequate public health standards, the City of Champaign website said.
Although the freeze is not currently affecting federal grant programs, Sulamoyo said the commission is keeping a close watch.
“We will continue monitoring the situation in Washington, D.C., and will provide updates to the community and to area media when or if we receive more information,” Sulamoyo said. “We are monitoring the situation closely while continuing to serve the community.”