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.

The withdrawal of the federal freeze was a stunning about-face for President Donald Trump’s White House, which has so far pushed the envelope to reshape the federal government in Trump’s mold, sowing chaos and confusion that comes with firing career civil servants, pausing foreign aid programs and offering federal workers a buyout.

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.

President Donald Trump’s budget office has rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country

As President Donald Trump paused federal grants and loans in a far-reaching directive, 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.