FLINT, MI – Local non-profit and community service organizations joined the nationwide frenzy after President Trump announced a federal funding freeze on essential social programs earlier this week, raising concerns about the stability of critical services.
Implemented on Monday, the freeze temporarily suspended billions of dollars allocated to programs such as Head Start, child care, emergency response services, veterans’ care, food assistance, and healthcare providers nationwide.
On Friday, Jan. 31, in a small classroom at Thelma Buffey Elementary School in Flint, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet held a press conference to address the freeze’s implications for Mid-Michigan communities.
Congresswoman McDonald Rivet, who began her career with Head Start, emphasized the long-term benefits of early childhood education and the importance of sustained investment in these programs.
“Head Start holds a really special place in my heart. I worked for Head Start, started my career in Head Start, and it taught me a lot of really important lessons about how government should work, how policy should work, and how communities should work,” she said.
The congresswoman further highlighted research demonstrating the economic and societal advantages of early childhood education. “What we know about early childhood in general is that it’s an investment that pays dividends down the road. It is well documented that Head Start and early childhood programs create a benefit for our economy.”
For families and local organizations, the sudden halt in funding created immediate concern. Douglas Hibbs, principal of Thelma Buffey Elementary School and early childhood director for the Pumpkin Patch early childhood program, outlined the scope of those affected.
“We serve over 400 families in our program, including over 50 families through Head Start,” Hibbs said, emphasizing the importance of early education. “Ninety percent of brain development is completed by age five.”
Melissa Ricketts, a Head Start employee and parent, shared the uncertainty facing both educators and families dependent on these programs.
“If our funding were to be cut off now, tomorrow, or even in the near future, that would leave me without a job and many children without care as well,” she said. “We need to know what’s going to happen to us. We need to know what’s going to happen to our children.”
Although the White House rescinded the funding freeze on Wednesday following court intervention, officials have signaled continued efforts to reduce spending in these areas. The uncertainty has left many community members concerned about the long-term stability of essential services.
McDonald Rivet acknowledged these fears. “Our office was bombarded with panic calls, still is, as the rhetoric continues to come out about cut, cut, cut, cut,” she said. “And when people heard what that meant, which was cutting funding for our babies, cutting funding for meals for our seniors, the most vulnerable among us, people started to panic, and they still are.”
“As your member of Congress, I will do everything in my power to fight any further attacks on our essential services that Mid-Michigan families really rely on,” she said. “The line stops at killing funding for our most vulnerable people, particularly our babies and our seniors.”
