CHICAGO (WLS) — For years, preschoolers at Building Blocks Learning Academy in Englewood have learned, through Earth Day activities, to invest in their environment.
But the owner of the school says proposed cuts to the program Head Start would put their future in jeopardy.
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Children there are getting early lessons about earth and how to protect it, from art projects to taking turns planting seeds in the garden.
For 6-year old Phoenix Tribble, it is a fun way to learn how to treat the earth with care.
“Because if you don’t, the earth is going to be sad,” Tribble said.
Michelle Redd says it is also important to cultivate young minds. She has made that her mission at Building Blocks Learning Academy in Englewood.
“It’s a community that’s under-resourced, marginalized and so, the work we do here is absolutely necessary,” Redd said.
But Redd is worried about what her school will look like in the near future.
The Trump administration has proposed eliminating funding for Head Start, a move that would affect nearly 800,000 of the nation’s most vulnerable children.
There are 130 students who attend Redd’s preschool. More than 30% of them rely on Head Start.
“Thirty percent to 40% of our students who are able to come and have warm lunches and hot breakfasts and to participate in these programs will go away,” Redd said.
Head Start helps children from birth to age 5 prepare for school and connect to nutrition, health care and mental health services.
Parents have access to support services.
“I understand being efficient, but I think this chainsaw mentality of cut, cut, cut, and not looking at who’s actually being impacted, that we need to stop and evaluate that,” Redd said.
Redd says parents and caregivers are encouraged to contact their local representatives to advocate for preserving Head Start.
READ MORE | US Dept. of Ed cuts could impact special education, low-income students in Chicago
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