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There was a 24-hour period in the early days of Trump’s second administration when the Children’s Learning Center thought it might lose its federal funding.
In February, the national organization mysteriously lost access to its payment system, causing nearly two dozen programs across the country to temporarily close without access to federal funds.
Though the branches in northwest Wyoming stayed open, the brief freeze still caused panic. It’s part of the broader uncertainty as the early childhood provider is reeling from sudden changes under Trump.
For the Jackson and Pinedale-based daycare and special education service, losing federal funds entirely would have been a big deal. The Head Start program provides daycare services for 76 children along with parenting classes for low-income families in Teton County.
“It is just a very uncertain place to be in right now,” CLC Executive Director Nicole Philbin told KHOL.
Relying on grants from the state as well, more than two thirds of CLC’s program funding for Head Start and special education come from government grants she said.
Even though it appears that the national Head Start program has been “put on a do not touch list” so far, the federal Department of Health and Human Services recently announced massive layoffs and funding cuts are underway. It is not known yet if the program will remain in the clear.
With talks of dismantling the Department of Education gaining traction in the Trump administration, Philbin is most worried about the stability of CLC’s special education programs that receives funds under that agency.
CLC provides special education services for 82 children in Teton county and another 30 in Sublette County, both of which rely on federal grants as well.
The Trump administration is also considering returning education funding oversight to the states, which Philbin said means programs like hers could potentially lose decision-making authority over the funds.
The early childhood education provider is already seeing added financial struggle this year.
It is also the third time in 15 years that CLC has not received a cost of living increase as part of the grants. The extra funds, Philbin said, would have gone to staff raises and improving existing programs.
Compounded with more cuts at the state level, with legislators voting down the full supplemental budget last month, Philbin said the future of funding is a bit unstable.
“It’s definitely a new chapter being written. It’s hard to tell what’s going to happen and what the impact is going to be,” Philbin said.
