Federal Judge Halts Trump-Admin Efforts to Purge Diversity Terms from Head Start Grant Apps
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A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from removing words associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion from Head Start grant applications. The order, issued this week, bars the administration from cutting any more employees in the Office of Head Start and prohibits punishment of providers who use the prohibited language. The lawsuit, filed in April against Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, challenges the administration's efforts to dismantle Head Start by shutting down federal offices and laying off staff. It also questions the administration's attempts to bar children in the US illegally from Head Start programs and to ban language deemed suggestive of DEI. Head Start providers and parents claim that officials told a Wisconsin director to remove terms like 'race,' 'belonging,' and 'pregnant people' from a grant application. A list of nearly 200 words, including 'Black,' 'Native American,' 'disability,' and 'women,' was also discouraged. The order affects Head Start, a federally funded early education and family support program serving hundreds of thousands of low-income children. It operates through nonprofits, schools, and local governments. According to Joel Ryan, head of the Washington State Head Start & Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, the order halts an attack on Head Start centers. 'When funding is withheld due to efforts to provide effective education to children with autism or serve tribal members, it's an attack on the fundamental promise of the Head Start program,' Ryan said. The directive on forbidden words has caused confusion among Head Start directors, who must describe how to use grant money and provide demographic information about families served. A director in Washington state canceled staff training on supporting children with autism and trauma due to the guidance. The order was issued by US District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, who has barred Health and Human Services from cutting any more employees and punishing Head Start providers for using prohibited language.
