Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is urging members of the U.S. House and Senate to fully fund the Head Start program in the next fiscal year.

Hobbs joined 15 other governors in signing a letter that went to the leaders of appropriation committees in both houses. According to the governors' letter, Head Start “provides vital early childhood programming” for low-income families. Head Start has been around since 1965, and of the 800,000 children who are served today nationwide, more than 17,000 are in Arizona.

Hobbs called it a lifeline for those children and their families.

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“I am proud to stand with governors across the country who believe that we must fully fund Head Start programs,” said Hobbs in a press release. “Any attempts to cut the program could lead to a huge disruption, not just to preschool access, but to parents who need to work.”

Examples of the “disruption” are described in the letter as straining childcare, the workforce, health, human services, and child safety systems. The governors added that “millions of parents” will be forced to choose between staying employed or leaving their job to care for children at the very time that a strong labor market is needed to grow the economy.

“We must invest in our youngest Arizonans, their parents, and the hardworking educators who help them succeed,” said Hobbs.

All the governors who signed the letter are Democrats. They are Colorado Governor Jared Polis, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Maine Governor Janet Mills, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Governor Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam.

The letter was addressed directly to Representatives Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, and Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, as well as U.S. Senators Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Patty Murray, D-Washington. Cole and Collins chair the appropriations committees in their chambers. DeLauro and Murray are the ranking members of the same committees.