Page 12 - Head Start Programs News Today

Take hold and having an impact on low-income families. nbc white house correspondent kristen welker joins us now. weve heard a lot about programs, head start programs particularly where people have been hit hard and seeing the impact. >> reporter: absolutely. when the sequester first took effect in march, there was a lot of debate about what the actual impact of the sequester would be. while not everyone has been affected, a lot of families say it has made life more difficult. tiffany jones, a s...

To have a disproportionate impact on lower income americans. >> reporter: still with critical programs like the columbus head start already feeling the sting, these parents are hoping washington will do something. >> write congress, senators, any representative you can. >> these are our children. these are the people that are going to carry us into our future. these are the people that needed indication. were supposed to nurture them when theyre younger and make them, have them grow. >> reporter...

Protected. >> sequester cuts forcing children all across the nation out of head start programs. well share one family story. plus, the fight to protect the vital programs for low-income families. but first, theres a lot going on today. here are some things we thought you should know. president obamas new advocacy group collected nearly 4.8 million during the first quarter. more than 109,000 supporters donated to organizing for america. the average donation, $44. it was form to advance his second...

And head start programs due to federal funding cuts spurred by sequestration. for those folks, today bringing no effect in policy. places like food finders food bank are expecting a 5% drop thanks to cuts in the community development block grant program. nothing happened today to change that. there are local news stories like these across the can country and all because of sequestration. automatic austerity. it doesnt e there. because other sequestration cuts place a greater demand on the nonpro...

Together and roosevelt said the white house is not immune from shared sacrifice and this is the point that the president is trying to make. and when you have cancer patients on medicare like you reported, carol, being turned back and not getting treatments because of the sequester, when you have the elderly going hungry because meals on wheels doesnt have the money to continue, when you have children not being able to participate in head start programs, these are the things that matter to the am...

Whether theyve been harmful or hurt. the defense industry hasnt felt them as much as the defense industry thought it would. they thought it would be post cold war era, not draw-downs but unwinding of programs. that hasnt happened. and in some degree, the defense industry is what exerts the most pull on capitol hill if they had felt it more acutely, perhaps a this conversation would be different. >> i think its important to remember that it is, the same level of, these cuts are happening in the p...

Locally the cuts are getting a lot of attention. is this or should this be a wakeup call for washington where its seemingly not a priority at all? >> in washington, its treated as sort of a political game. whos winning the sequestration game? who is this going to benefit in the next election season? but around the country, thats not how its being talked about. its being talked about, will i have a job tomorrow? will my kid be able to go to head start? will i be able to get the unemployment benef...

People that you talk to that we hope will impact because of your report and others like this lady we just showed that was talking about how shes going to have to explain to her son that he cant go back. i said he was. his name was not picked, so he cant go back into head start. when you look at jeff maryak who we mentioned, the veteran that we mentioned in our intro, heres what he had to say about his situation. im quoting him now. its a kick in the teeth. im 40 years old and after working, what...

I think those are powerful criticisms of the plan he had put out and will continue to be criticisms that well hear moving forward. if congress and the president is serious about moving forward with some sort of deficit and debt deal. i think both sides will get the criticism. the plan that is envisioned is one that will go after some of these associate safety net programs. certainly not the way the republicans will do it but it will hit exactly where sister simone is talking about. >> i think th...

Middle class. take ryans budget, its so severe worth to the lowest level since 1948. 1948. thats literally rolling back the clock. this is the same party that rails about white house tours. but it gnaws automatic budget cuts. well, they should ignore the fact that the u.s. forest service will have to cut 505 firefighters. they should ignore the fact that food programs for seniors are getting cut in georgia. or that the head start programs in indiana are actually using random drawings to decide w...