Creating Safe Spaces: A Guide for Early Childhood Programs
Ensuring the safety and well-being of children is a priority for every early childhood program. A Guide to Creating “Safe Space” Policies for Early Childhood Programs, provided by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), offers valuable insights and practical steps for child care providers to develop policies that protect children and families from the impact of immigration enforcement actions.
This guide provides important information on safeguarding privacy, creating welcoming environments, and preparing for potential enforcement scenarios. It includes step-by-step instructions for developing a “safe space” policy, legal considerations, and key resources for providers and parents.
For those looking to strengthen protections within their programs, this guide can serve as a helpful tool.
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Federal Funding Freeze Rescinded by OMB Memo
On Wednesday, 1/29/25, the Trump Administration rescinded their Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directive from January 27, 2025 which instructed many federal agencies to freeze federal loans, grants, and other financial assistance. Effective immediately, grantees should be able to access their funds without disruption. Read the new memo here.
National Network for Youth (NN4Y)and National Safe Place Network sincerely thanks all of you who took time to contact your U.S. Representatives and advocate against this harmful policy. Your swift action played a critical role in reversing the decision and ensuring vital resources continue to flow to organizations working to support youth and young adults experiencing homelessness.
If you are still unable to access your grant portals, please let NN4Y know by emailing [email protected]. We are tracking this and any additional impacts as a result of the funding freeze.
We will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as needed. Thank you for your ongoing advocacy and commitment to helping our young people experiencing homelessness. |
Judge Temporarily Blocks Freeze on Federal Funding
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has temporarily halted the freeze on federal loans, grants, and other financial assistance announced in a memo by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Monday (1/29/25) evening. The U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan's ruling:
- Prevents the administration from blocking funding to existing federal programs until Monday (2/3/25).
- States that existing grants and financial agreements will continue uninterrupted until at least Monday (2/3/25).
- Comes after legal challenges from advocacy groups warned that the freeze would have devastating consequences for essential public services.
What's Affected — and What's Not
This freeze is part of the Trump Administration’s broader push to cut spending and remove federal support for programs that don’t align with the Administration’s priorities. The memo states it does not apply to Social Security or Medicare benefits, payments to individuals (like Pell grants or direct student loans), Head Start, and rental assistance.
For now, Judge AliKhan’s ruling allows existing grants and financial agreements to continue uninterrupted for existing funding commitments. At this time, new Notice of Funding Opportunities are limited or blocked as the new administration works to update them to reflect their priorities.
The portals for Health and Human Services grants should be open, but we have heard from providers that portals for Housing and Urban Development grants are still inaccessible.
On Monday (2/3/25) morning, Judge AliKhan will hear arguments to determine if the freeze should continue after Monday. National Network for Youth (NN4Y) and National Safe Place Network (NSPN) will continue to closely monitor developments and provide further updates as information becomes available.
It's recommend that you contact:
- Your federal grant administrator(s) for specific guidance regarding your program’s funding status.
- Your U.S. Representatives to push for permanent protections to maintain funding stability.
NN4Y has put together this updated alert and the steps and scripts below to assist in contacting all three of your representatives by phone and email.
Call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and they will connect you directly with your House or Senate offices.
Step #1 - Call your representatives’ offices.
What to say:
This is [NAME] from [ORGANIZATION]. We are a community-based organization that serves youth experiencing homelessness in your [DISTRICT/STATE].
I am calling to urge my Member of Congress to take immediate action to ensure the lives of children, youth, and families are not impacted by the Trump Administration’s freeze on federal grants, loans, and financial assistance.
While a judge has temporarily paused this harmful policy, I believe Congress must act now to ensure long-term solutions are in place to protect essential programs. [IMPACT EXAMPLES].
Please pass along my message and let them know I would like a response.
Step #2 - Send a tailored email to your representatives’ offices.
To make sure your message is received, do not email the general office email. Instead, contact a specific staff member from that office. If you are unsure what email address to send your message to, contact Trinady Maddock, National Network for Youth, at [email protected].
What to email:
[STAFFER],
This is [NAME] from [ORGANIZATION]. We are a community-based organization that serves youth experiencing homelessness in your [DISTRICT/STATE].
I am emailing to urge my Member of Congress to take immediate action to ensure the lives of children, youth, and families are not negatively impacted by the Trump Administration's freeze on federal grants, loans, and financial assistance. While a judge has temporarily paused this harmful policy, I believe Congress must act now to ensure long-term solutions are in place to protect essential programs. [IMPACT EXAMPLES].
Please pass along my message to your boss and let them know I would like a response. Our program cannot help children, youth, and young parent families experiencing homelessness without the critical federal funding that was frozen yesterday.
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[NAME]
If you are not able to draw down funds for specific federal programs, please let us know. Please share additional impacts of the federal freeze on your program by emailing NN4Y's Trinady Maddock at [email protected]. |
Federal Assistance Funding is Paused
Yesterday, January 27, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo ordering all agency heads to pause all federal financial assistance programs and review them to ensure they are consistent with all the President’s policies, including policies that ban diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, anti-transgender policies, or other executive actions.
This memo was an overstep of the Executive Branch — they should not be allowed to halt funding that was already allocated by Congress.
This is an evolving situation and we will share more information as we get it. This is a summary of what we know so far:
- 1/27/25 - The OMB memo was released stating all federal financial assistance programs will be paused. However, this freeze has already been implemented across many programs.
- By 2/10/25 - Agencies are to report on the programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated. OMB will then review the list of programs and provide guidance to the agency on how to proceed.
Your voice is critical — tell Congress now how even a short-term disruption in your federal funding would impact your community. Congress must take a stand and speak out today against this overstep by the Trump Administration.
National Network for Youth (NN4Y) has put together this alert and the steps and scripts below to assist in contacting all three of your representatives by phone and email.
Step #1 - Call your representatives’ offices.
Call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and they will connect you directly with your House or Senate offices.
What to say:
This is [NAME] from [ORGANIZATION]. We are a community-based organization that serves youth experiencing homelessness in your [DISTRICT/STATE].
We are very concerned about the impact of the Trump Administration’s freeze on federal grants, loans, and financial assistance. This will have an immediate negative impact on our community. [IMPACT EXAMPLES].
You must urge your boss (the Member of Congress) to contact the White House immediately and demand the OMB federal assistance freeze be rescinded. This memo was an overstep by the Executive Branch—they should not be allowed to halt funding that was already allocated by Congress.
Step #2 - Send a tailored email to your representatives’ offices.
To make sure your message is received, do not email the general office email. Instead, contact a specific staff member from that office. If you are unsure what email address to send your message to, contact Trinady Maddock, National Network for Youth, at [email protected].
What to email:
[STAFFER],
This is [NAME] from [ORGANIZATION]. We are a community-based organization that serves youth experiencing homelessness in your [DISTRICT/STATE].
We are very concerned about the impact of the Trump Administration's freeze on federal grants, loans, and financial assistance. This will have an immediate and devastating impact on our community. Without this funding, [IMPACT EXAMPLES].
Please advise us on what we need to do to ensure we don’t lose this critical federal funding. Our program cannot help children, youth, and young parent families experiencing homelessness without it.
I also urge your boss to contact the White House immediately and demand the memo be rescinded. This memo was an overstep by the Executive Branch—they should not be allowed to halt funding that was already allocated by Congress.
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[NAME]
This is an evolving situation, and NN4Y wants to have the most accurate information for ongoing advocacy. Contact [email protected] to share how this freeze is impacting your program and community, and with any further questions.
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National Safe Place Network Welcomes April Christina Curley and Sammy Davis to its Board of Directors
National Safe Place Network (NSPN) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Board Members: April Christina Curley, Engagement and Partnerships Manager at Last Mile Education Fund, and Sammy Davis, Vice President of Safety and Security at Papa John’s International. Both leaders bring a wealth of experience in their respective fields and will play a crucial role in expanding NSPN’s efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of youth across the country.
About April Christina Curley
April Christina Curley has built her career around creating opportunities for underrepresented students, particularly in STEM education. At Last Mile Education Fund, she leads initiatives that provide vital resources to help low-income students succeed. Her passion for equity and inclusion aligns with NSPN’s goal of creating safe spaces for all youth, and her insights will be instrumental as NSPN expands its outreach and support services.
About Sammy Davis
Sammy Davis brings over three decades of experience in safety leadership and compliance, with a focus on fostering safe environments. At Papa John’s, he oversees comprehensive safety programs that prioritize employee and customer well-being. His expertise in safety management and risk mitigation will help NSPN continue to strengthen its safety programs and ensure that youth service organizations maintain safe and healthy environments.
“We are thrilled to have April and Sammy join our board,” said Laurie Padilla, President and CEO of NSPN. “Their leadership in education and safety will be invaluable as we work to build stronger, safer communities for youth.”
See other members of NSPN's board of directors here. |
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