ALTON - Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski got her share of hugs during a visit to Riverbend Head Start, where she talked about the importance of funding Head Start programs.
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On Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, Budzinski read a book and completed a craft with a classroom of 3- to 5-year-olds at Riverbend Head Start in Alton. She shared that the event was a major highlight of her day, and it reminded her why she is pushing for continued funding for Head Start programs.
“You can just see the impact. You can see what a wonderful environment this is for all of those kids and how they’re thriving and how much their teacher enjoys them and how much the students look to the teacher for guidance,” she said. “When you see that firsthand, you know that every dollar that is spent in a program like that, you’re getting 20 times more back for that investment.”
Budzinski and Riverbend Head Start CEO Gene Howell noted that Head Start programs are experiencing “flat funding,” meaning they have not received additional funding from the federal level beyond what they were allotted last year. Howell pointed out that even the .06 cost-of-living allowance does not make a big difference when you account for inflation.
“How that stacks up to rising costs of health insurance, utilities, contracts for food service, contracts for cleaning, all those vendor services — it’s not even flat funding. It’s actually stepping backwards because it’s not keeping pace with inflation,” he said. “Our goal is to provide as high-quality of a program as we can, and those things begin to work against us.”
Additionally, Budzinski expressed concerns about cuts to the SNAP program. Currently, all families that qualify for SNAP are eligible to enroll their children in Head Start programs. Budzinski fears that cuts to SNAP might impact a family’s ability to find childcare or education for their children by making them ineligible for Head Start.
Budzinski said that she will be “keeping an eye on” this. She noted that most Head Start programs have waiting lists of people who want to enroll their children, which highlights the organization’s importance.
“Every Head Start I’ve been to, they will tell you about their waiting list. There is so much need, and they do such a great job with the dollar that is invested in them,” she said. “I just really want to shine a light on their work and the great contribution they make to our communities.”
In Alton, Riverbend Head Start has officially consolidated its central office with the Essic Robinson Location through a grant from the Office of Head Start. Because they will no longer be paying leases for the central office property or bus sheds, this consolidation will put an additional $300,000 in the budget.
Howell hopes this money can go toward health insurance or salary increases so Riverbend Head Start can offer competitive rates. He noted that their staff members are “really mission-minded folks” who focus on “loving the kids and coming to work every day” despite the funding challenges.
As Budzinski concluded her visit, Howell expressed his appreciation for her continued work to “fight” for the Head Start program. He encourages community members to join them in these efforts, noting that Riverbend Head Start is a unique program that does a lot for local families.
“I think the important thing is we need folks to continue to advocate for Head Start. We are not a preschool program. We're a two-generational approach to helping families unlock themselves from poverty. We work as much with the parents as we do with the kids, and we’re very unique in that way. We serve the whole child,” Howell added. “We just want folks to know this little gem is in the community.”
For more information about Riverbend Head Start, visit their official website.
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