Six lawmakers demand information on childcare center closures, cost changes, Head Start and government grants

Democratic senators have accused Donald Trump’s administration of worsening the country’s childcare crisis, warning that rising costs and daycare closures are leaving families with fewer affordable options.

In a letter seen by the Guardian and addressed to Alex Adams, assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), senators led by Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts argue that federal cuts and changes to childcare programs like Head Start are destabilising an already fragile system.

Childcare costs rose faster than overall inflation in 2025, the letter notes, while the cost of daycare and preschool increased by 3.5% in the year to May 2026.