Alaska Head Start programs in limbo after regional office closed by U.S. Health Secretary Kennedy

Students swing on a playground at Meadow Lakes Head Start in Wasilla, Alaska. It closed in 2024 due to funding and staffing challenges. (Image by Lela Seiler, courtesy of CCS Early Learning)
Alaska Head Start programs are reeling after the regional federal office was suddenly closed last week, leaving programs uncertain about grant administration and future funding.
Trump-appointed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the closure of five