Two Northwest Wisconsin Head Start facilities saw a visit from Governor Tony Evers on Monday as they navigate unsteady federal funding.

Governor Evers made stops at Family Forum Head Start in Superior and Western Dairyland Head Start in Eau Claire. During his recent State of the State address, Governor Evers declared 2025 as the “Year of the Kid.” The visits were part of his efforts to push for continuing the Child Care Counts program and introducing free school breakfasts and lunches for students.

In recent days, he has also vowed to fight back against efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to halt the distribution of federal aid. The federal funding freeze has caused issues for Head Start programs across the state.

“We just have to make sure that people hear the stories that you just heard,” said Governor Evers after speaking with officials from the Western Dairyland Head Start program. “They were unable to access their money, through no fault of their own.”

Governor Evers says his upcoming biennial budget proposal includes $480 million for child care programs. Much like the rest of the state, Northwest Wisconsin has struggled with a lack of affordable housing and affordable child care. While discussing plans for future housing and retail projects recently, Barron County officials said there are as many as 1,000 open positions in the area that can’t be filled because there aren’t enough housing and child care options to attract workers.

Governor Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul have also announced Wisconsin has joined a coalition of states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to block the federal funding freeze.

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