As the White House paused federal grants and loans in a far-reaching executive order, early childhood education centers and states discovered Tuesday they could no longer access money they rely on to provide care for some of the nation’s neediest families and children.

Trump's directive to pause federal grants raised concerns for programs like Meals on Wheels and Head Start. While direct assistance such as Social Security and Medicare remains unaffected, uncertainty surrounds funding for community-based nutrition and early childhood education services reliant on federal grants.