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.

A federal funding freeze ordered by President Trump has been walked back, leaving families scrambling for answers, and services like Washington's Head Start program unable to give them answers.

Congressman Gabe Amo spent Thursday morning at Children’s Friend; a nonprofit head start provider in Providence, devastated by the aftershocks of the federal funding freeze.

The White House said Head Start should not be affected by the federal freeze, but local programs are scrambling to stay open amid payment glitches.