Below are remarks from our Deputy Director, Courtney Veronneau, shared on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Good morning, folks. My name is Courtney Veronneau, I use she/her pronouns. I am the Deputy Director of Movement Building at Family Forward Oregon, a parent-led advocacy organization fighting for social, racial and reproductive justice in Oregon.
We, alongside Parent Voices Oakland, represent Head Start families nationwide at risk of losing access to the program due to the coordinated and targeted attacks by the Trump Administration. Thank you for being here today as we fight these attacks in court. Thank you for continuing to uplift the early education and child care crisis impacting families all across the nation.
And we know this crisis has only gotten worse for families under Trump’s misguided and harmful immigration “policies.” Cutting what little access to affordable, quality early education does exist is not just illogical, it’s unnecessarily cruel. But as with most things under President Trump and the Republican-led Congress, the cruelty is the point.
In Oregon, over 12,000 children and their families are at risk of losing access to Head Start. The Trump Administration’s vague policies have caused widespread fear and confusion, and efforts to cut or interfere with families’ access to Head Start will have far-reaching consequences that go beyond the kids who lose their education today.
Since the Trump Administration’s attacks on Head Start have begun, our members have shared the harmful effects on their families. We heard from a single mother of three in Portland. Should she lose access to Head Start, she will be forced to leave the workforce, left unemployed and unable to work.
We heard from a mother in rural Oregon that shared how important Head Start was in helping her in recovery, and at the same time, sparked the joy of reading in her daughter.We’ve heard of several Head Start programs across the state that struggled to receive their federal funding, throwing programs into chaos and leaving teachers wondering if they will still have a job next week. And we recently spoke with one Head Start teacher that many immigrant families and children won’t be returning to the program this fall out of fear of the Trump Administration’s harmful and cruel attacks on immigrant communities. Without Head Start, life would look very different for our members and countless others across the United States.
These and other real-life impacts are devastating our communities. But we don’t operate from a place of fear. We’re not backing down, and our efforts to stave off the Trump Administration’s attacks will not waiver. Because when our elected leaders cut funding and attack programs like Head Start, they’re not just punishing children — we all suffer.
Read more about the hearing from the ACLU below:
Court to Hold Hearing in Case Challenging Trump Administration’s Attacks to Head Start
Plaintiffs to Gather Outside the Court For Press Conference Following the Hearing
WHAT: On August 5, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington will hold a hearing on motions for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order, in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful attacks on Head Start, a program that provides critical services to more than 40 million children across the country. Following the hearing, parents, Head Start providers and attorneys will host a press conference outside the court.
The motions were filed as part of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU, ACLU of Washington, ACLU of Illinois, and Impact Fund, on behalf of parent groups, Parent Voices Oakland and Family Forward Oregon, and the Head Start associations of Washington state, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
WHEN: Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at 10 A.M. PST/1 P.M.EST.
WHO:
- Courtney Veronneau, deputy director of movement building, Family Forward Oregon
- Vanessa Torres Hernandez, integrated advocacy director, ACLU of Washington
- Jennesa Calvo-Friedman, senior staff attorney, ACLU Women’s Rights Project
- Joel Ryan, executive director, Washington State Association of Head Start & & Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program
- Alexis Cortes, Head Start parent
WHERE:
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, 700 Stewart Street, Seattle, WA 98101
A press conference will take place outside the court, following the hearing.
HOW TO LISTEN:
Remote audio access can be found here.