Federal funding freeze on hold; Wisconsin programs concerned for future | FOX6 Milwaukee

Federal funding freeze on hold; Wisconsin programs concerned for future

Wisconsin filed a lawsuit with other states and Washington D.C. to fight the federal funding freeze on Tuesday, Jan. 28, which a federal judge temporarily blocked.

What we know:

Many Wisconsin agencies are in limbo, wondering what's next if and when the federal funding freeze is reinstated.

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The Trump administration said the planned temporary freeze was to give it time to review funding for "DEI, woke gender ideology, and the Green New Deal."

Local perspective:

Head Start programs in Waukesha and Washington counties have been shut down until further notice. This will affect parents with children enrolled in the Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Waukesha and Washington counties.

The executive director at National Centers for Learning Excellence, Dr. Tim Nolan, said the program won’t resume until he can guarantee his staff will be paid.

"We won’t be open until we can actually receive money in our bank account," Nolan said. "We think we’re on a path to resolution but it's been a pretty horrendous time since 10 o'clock last night."

Related

Federal funding freeze on hold, Wisconsin joins lawsuit

Wisconsin filed a lawsuit with 21 other states and Washington D.C. to fight the federal funding freeze, which a federal judge temporarily blocked.

Nolan said his program employs 65 people, with 300 children enrolled.

Why you should care:

The closure is impacting Shateria Brown, a young single mother.

"I was just in shock," Brown said. "Not everybody got the funds like most. It is harder to pay, you know, for child care and it's harder to pay for most stuff. Some people are actually out here struggling, hustling to get the funds."

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Wisconsin Head Start Association Executive Director Jennie Mauer said the stress has been felt statewide.

"If Head Start funding isn’t frozen but WIC is frozen, that is still a disaster," Mauer said. "While we may be able to breathe a small sigh of relief, I am still deeply concerned as someone who cares about kids and families."

What you can do:

The WHSA said anyone worried about programs shutting down should contact local lawmakers.

The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.

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