Residents and officials in Gary, Indiana unite to safeguard Geminus Head Start program following a pause in federal funding

GARY, Ind. (WLS) — A federal freeze to Head Start programs disrupted the lives of local families that depend on them.

Now that the funding has resumed, some parents in Northwest Indiana want to make sure it remains.

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This year, a local family has noticed a significant improvement in 4-year-old Chase, who previously faced developmental delays. Chase’s mother shared with ABC7 the positive impact St. Mark’s Head Start has had on him.

Recently, local dignitaries paid a visit to the Gary, Indiana program, raising concerns about the future of this national initiative. The program, which has benefitted over 38 million children and families in its 60-year history, faces uncertainty moving forward.

“When parents lack reliable childcare while balancing work responsibilities, it creates a significant challenge. They may find themselves asking, ‘How can I work effectively while ensuring my child is well cared for?’ This dilemma ultimately results in fewer individuals contributing to the workforce,” expressed Congressman Frank Mrvan.

A federal freeze in funding by the Trump administration temporarily disrupted some of the Head Start programs. The new administration explained funding was frozen to evaluate if money was being spent on programs in alignment with its goals.

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St. Mark’s is part of Geminus Head Start, which was able to keep their doors open during the funding freeze.

“That’s always the ongoing concern are we going to see changes are we going to have disruptions to the funding source,” said William Trowbridge with Geminus Head Start.

The Geminus staff and Congressman Mrvan point to the successes of Head Start students, who are better prepared for Kindergarten and beyond.

Some Head Start parents told ABC7 the program has been vital to their families and to their children’s futures.

“It’s given me and him both tools to be able to function better together and alone,” parent Dillion Lehman said.

Parents ABC7 spoke with hope lawmakers in Washington D.C. will prioritize this program and maintain funding.

“Helping the parents and the kids so we can effectively parent our children it helps build community because now you have all of these parents that are thriving within the same community,” parent Jessica Fullilove said.

More information about Geminus Head Start can be found here.