INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — Educators across the Treasure Coast said they’re growing increasingly concerned about the future of federal funding for Head Start—a federally funded preschool and childcare program that serves low-income families.
Though the current federal budget includes funding for the program, the long-term future is uncertain, and for those who run and rely on Head Start, that uncertainty is deeply unsettling.
WATCH: 'We feel like our calling is under threat,' Franklin Johnson tells WPTV
At Douglas Head Start in Indian River County, one of seven Head Start centers across Indian River and Okeechobee counties, staff said they’re grateful for the momentary reprieve—but they’re bracing for what could come next.
"We feel like our calling is under threat," said Franklin Johnson, Head Start director for the Economic Opportunities Council.
Johnson knows the program firsthand—not just as an educator, but as a former Head Start student himself.
"It’s about more than education—it’s about family," Johnson said. "It’s about looking at the child as a whole, not judging, and giving them choices."
Johnson has spent nearly two decades working in Head Start classrooms. For him, the motivation is simple: "The love for children."
He said early childhood education programs like Head Start are essential for school readiness and long-term development.
"Having those early experiences before kindergarten—it matters," he said. "Without it, it can be detrimental, not just to the child, but to the family."
The fear of losing funding began several years ago when former President Donald Trump proposed sweeping budget cuts, including to early childhood programs. Although those funds were later released, the threat remains.
Currently, Head Start in Indian River and Okeechobee counties receives about $2.9 million in federal funding—money that supports seven sites and serves nearly 500 children. Leaders say they’re hoping to expand with an eighth location, but worry that new budget talks in Washington could once again put the program on the chopping block.
"If that happened, would you be able to run at all?" WPTV asked.
"No," Johnson replied.
Lenora Carter, who has spent over 30 years as a Head Start educator, echoed those concerns.
"The children. The love of teaching them—that’s what keeps me coming back," Carter said. "This is a great agency. We give back to the community every day."
For Carter, the job is more than a paycheck. It’s personal.
"This is family to me. It’s home," she said. "So when you talk about cutting funding, you’re talking about taking my children. I call all of them mine."
Johnson urged members of the public to speak up and contact their elected officials.
"We need people to understand this isn’t just about classrooms—it’s about communities," he said. "It’s about investing in children, one family at a time."
