city ordinance.

President Donald Trump says he wants to do away with the Department of Education immediately.

Here's a little of what he said just this afternoon.

>> I'd like it to be closed to media day.

Look, the Department of Education's a big con were ranked so they rank the top 40 countries in the world where rank number 40th but were ranked number one in one department costs per people.

>> Meanwhile, funding for programs such as Head Start which provides wraparound services for low-income families and children are also under threat.

Joining us now to look at the potential impact of cuts to early-childhood education in Illinois are Michaela Collins, a former head start parents and now member of the board of directors at the Illinois Head Start Association and Shawna Edge, a senior vice president for programs at Illinois Action for Children.

Thanks to you both for joining us.

So in recent years, we know that early-childhood education, it's been through some bumps.

Sean, I want to start with you, please.

How would you describe the state of early education and childcare and Illinois right now.

>> You know, right now, I think from a state perspective, we have a lot of support.

Governor Pritzker has started his smart start program and we're doing wonderful things for children and families statewide.

The threat to us, though, is on the federal level, the federal government help support our child Care Assistance Program, which really supports low-income families who need access to quality child care with covering that and very, very huge expense for their families.

In addition, I head start programs throughout the country are really struggling with having access to funding that's already been appropriated to them.

That's already been granted to them on an ongoing basis.

And so we did have a them a week or 2 ago where we couldn't access the payment entry system at all.

And then right now, it seems every day or every other day it is being shut down for maintenance.

And we have a few programs in our state that have been unable to access the funding they need to pay their staff.

>> Would have been some of the challenges are what are some of the challenges Mike?

He left for families in getting access to early childhood education.

>> So start present wide range programs and services for children and their families.

I'm only a role in its targeting lonely, not only the child with the families as well.

So children are liking on mental health services, nutrition services, social services, anything that offer support for children and moves.

Shawna, same question to you.

What it would have.

Some families have to one of the barriers what they have to go through and making sure that they can >> afford and find a early learning opportunities for kids.

>> We already know that in the state of from the Illinois, we have deserts.

We have some locations within our state where they're actually Arnold services.

And so the state has worked really hard to try to infuse funding and to some of those locations.

So that families can access.

We know that without access families can't work, they can't could pursue training.

They can't go to school, cetera.

And so our goal is accessible, quality child care for statewide.

The situation with losing head start, which is a really huge component of some of the services that are offered to families in the state of Illinois would be devastating.

It would leave such a gap in services, particularly for low-income families that need that additional support of that 2 generation program.

>> And Shawna, you mentioned the governor Smart start program last year.

Governor Pritzker also created the state's first ever Department of Early childhood.

Shawna, how will that be helpful to parents as well as providers?

>> So, you know, we are really excited about the New Department.

We believe that once programs that are all serving early childhood from the various different agencies right now will be able to provide a seamless system for families that's far less complex than what it is at the current moment.

And so we've worked together.

I think as all early childhood providers in the state to figure out kind of what the challenges are to families, accessing services and it can be everything from a lack of knowledge.

It can also be the fact that they live in a childcare desert.

But often it's families don't realize what they're eligible for.

And we feel like having everything within one state agency will allow the burden to be on the agency as opposed to the burden of finding the quality care being on the parent, figuring out what they can apply for what they're eligible for, except >> I'm You mentioned, you know, last month the Trump administration placed a freeze on federal funds that they say were not intended to impact.

Programs like head start like Medicare.

But I think a lot of agencies report that it actually did a micayla, you know, as the on the Board of Illinois Head Start Association, what do you know about what the impact actually was that day and what it's been?

>> so a lot of our program were not able to pulled from the system to even add, says funds broad areas on and not being able to pay bills, not being able to pay employees.

And some senators had to close.

It's people because they could not pay them.

with that system going up and down like in city, it's a challenge every day.

They're feeling like, is it going to be differing?

We're not able to hire new employees because they're scared that they want >> I'd like to get a sense a little bit if we could have how early education is funded because it actually comes from several buckets between the state and the federal government.

So to give us a brief understanding of that, please.

>> Sure thing.

So the Office of Head Start funds programs nationwide directly from the Office of Head Start to local communities and that programming is based on need.

That programming is offered free to families.

It's for folks that are expecting a baby all the way through the age of 5.

In most instances and it really is a program that's to generational supporting that expected family, that new family all the way through that child getting into really the K through 12 system with the goal of supporting them toward self-sufficiency.

Then we have state programming.

fun.

Department will primarily through the Illinois Department of Human Services.

We get the Child Care Development Block Grant, which is a grant that comes from the federal government boat load of money comes into the Illinois Department of Human Services and that funds or child Care Assistance Program, which are also for families that are are working that are low-income or in school.

And that really was designed as a work support for families so that the kids who could self-sufficiency and be able to afford quality care for their children.

Thank you for invitation for all.

>> Well, just want to we're almost at a time and I wanted to give Michaela back in here one more time because you're also a former head start.

Mom, how would you get a that those services are beneficial to you and your family in about 20 seconds?

>> My children, both are very ahead of their time in in their grade level.

They're super smart and I was able to receive services that I would not have been able to receive doing where it's.

>> That's what we'll have to leave it.

Thanks to you both for joining us.

Best of luck