By Frank 
WASHINGTON (AP) – Early childhood education institutions and states learned Tuesday that they would no longer be able to access funding that they depend on to care for some of the most vulnerable families and children in the country after President Donald Trump suspended federal grants and loans in a broad proclamation (funding freeze).
Staff nationwide were shut out of Medicaid and Head Start funding payment websites Tuesday morning, leaving some frantically attempting to figure out how they would pay vendors and rent, as well as fulfill salaries. Hours later, however, the White House stated that the freeze shouldn’t have had an impact on funding for those programs. Some states and Head Start providers indicated that they could now access the sites again by the end of Tuesday.
Some Head Start locations were considering closing as a result of the misinformation. After announcing that it would not be operating on Wednesday due to staff unpaid, Early Flowers Learning, which runs 17 Head Start preschools with 600 youngsters in southern Michigan, later discovered that website access had been restored.
The executive director of Early Flowers Learning, Chanda Hillman, stated, “I worry about them, you know, definitely trying to hold it together right now, thinking about some of the children that we serve who might not have access to breakfast and lunch if they don’t have a place to go.”
This grant freeze is most similar to a federal government shutdown, in which federal payments to some state and local programs may be delayed due to congressional disagreements over budget bills.
State Senate President Bill Ferguson highlighted the possible effects of the funding freeze on the state on Tuesday when he said, “If the federal government coughs, Maryland catches pneumonia.”
Higher Education Faces Financial Stuckness
Universities around the country are currently negotiating an uncertain time after being hit with an unexpected budget block. They are closely assessing the possible effects on research projects, student aid, and faculty incomes.
Administrators at the University of North Carolina asked for patience in a campus-wide email, noting that the appropriate federal authorities will provide official confirmation of funding decisions. ‘Try not to panic, and sit tight,’ is the message, said psychology professor Keely Muscatell. However, I also believe that it’s far easier said than done.