Local organizations reeling from uncertainty amid chaos and confusion surrounding Trump federal funding freeze

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The confusion and chaos that was triggered by the uncertainty over the federal funding freeze extended far beyond Washington to the local organizations that rely on that money to operate.

Even groups the White House said would not be impacted, were impacted significantly.

300 families that rely on Head Start for childcare in Waukesha and Washington Counties will not have those resources Wednesday or for the foreseeable future.

The White House said Head Start would not be affected by the freeze, but it was. Even after a federal judge blocked the freeze, Head Start cannot access their funds.

Dr. Timothy Nolan is the CEO of the National Centers for Learning Excellence, which is the grantee that operates Head Start in Waukesha County. He told us Tuesday, "It's really hard to trust this system. We don't know what the plan is."

Waukesha County's Head Start could not access the nationwide payment system Tuesday night after the funding freeze memo was issued.

They tried to get on throughout the night and into the day. When they finally got on Tuesday afternoon, they were told they still could not access funds that usually are released in less than 24 hours.

Dr. Nolan said, "We may well have seven to ten days before we get cash."

The federal judge's block of the funding freeze had no impact; the damage was already done.

Now Waukesha's Head Start program might miss payroll for the first time in 57 years.

That means 65 staffers won't get paid, health insurance benefits won't get paid, and the building lease won't get paid.

And 300 families won't have critical childcare.

Nolan told us, "It's real people's real lives being really disrupted."

And other critical community groups are in similar situations.

A Milwaukee legal organization that helps low-income people told us they're "extremely concerned" and don't yet know how they'll be impacted.

Meals on Wheel programs across the country were also turned upside down. Meals on Wheels said in a statement, "The current lack of clarity and uncertainty is creating chaos for local Meals on Wheels providers."

When the dust settles, and even if funding is restored to Head Start and other programs, Nolan is worried about the long-term future if the Trump administration eventually cuts them to save money.

Project 2025, the conservative policy playbook unveiled during the campaign, calls for Head Start to be abolished.

Then-candidate Trump disavowed the document as a whole, but educators are still fearful.

Nolan said his program saves the federal and state governments $11 for every $1 invested because Head Start leads to less teen pregnancy, less incarceration, and more school success.

Nolan said, "One of my 17-, 18-kid classrooms actually returns a million dollars in future savings."

But many of the families Head Start serves do not have the luxury of thinking that far ahead.

They're trying to find childcare for Wednesday morning.

"For not a very good purpose, we've caused a lot of pain and disruption," Nolan told us.

Nolan said because the childcare field is already significantly underfunded, many of the staffers don't have a lot of reserve resources to wait out a delay.

He worries not being able to access money for seven to ten days could force staffers to leave their Head Start positions in order to take other jobs.