Alta Care Group is expanding their outreach in Trumbull County with a new Head Start pre-school in Warren, set to open its doors to students and families by the end of 2024.

"We provide physicals, dental, vision, scoliosis screenings, and free meals for our children," Alta Head Start director Lori Stellmar said. "We also do offer behavioral health services for our children."

The Head Start program, which mainly serves low income families, has been working towards a series of improvements including renovations, purchasing additional learning materials, and hiring staff at an increasing pay rate.

Many of these initiatives are able to be sustained through federal support, including an $8.2 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services awarded in 2020, which provided funds through June 2025.

"Without that federal funding it would be a huge deficit to our program that would ultimately affect the children and the families that we service," Stellmar noted.

But the incoming Trump Administration could shake up the program's plans. The President-elect pledged to close the Department of Education, leaving all decisions on programs and funding to the states.

It's also unclear if the previous funding would be renewed by Department of Health and Human Services.

Alta CEO Joseph Shorokey tells 21 News, potential changes on the horizon are cause for concern, but the company remains optimistic that historic bipartisan support for Head Start programs will continue.

Should federal funding expire, Shorokey added the company will look into state or private funding before considering any enrollment or staffing cuts.