Leaked Email Exposes Trump-Era Plan to Kill Child Welfare Research

A mistakenly shared email from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has revealed internal plans to terminate over 150 research grants, many tied to programs like Head Start and child abuse prevention. The spreadsheet, quietly attached to a routine message to grantees, listed which studies would be “terminated” or “continued” — and the vast majority faced the axe. The projects came from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, which has long funded efforts to understand how to make safety net programs more effective for low-income children and families.

The revelation comes on the heels of sweeping cuts within HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF), which oversees Head Start. ACF has already laid off hundreds and plans to shutter five regional offices. According to insiders, only 21 out of 177 grants were set to continue, with millions in funding and years of research on the chopping block — including studies focused on low-income Black and Hispanic families at Morehouse College and other institutions.

Though HHS later claimed the document was outdated, former officials called the move reckless and politically motivated. “This is not just about budget choices,” said former ACF deputy Katie Hamm. “It’s about erasing evidence that supports programs serving vulnerable children. And grantees had to learn about it from a spreadsheet — by accident.”
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