Stalled grants have caused closures that will go on indefinitely.
Head Start programs nationwide were forced to close at the start of November due to the government shutdown, which is now entering its second month.
Dozens of child care centers are missing federal grant payments, leaving parents of what the program calls “America’s most vulnerable young children” without care for kids up to 4 years old.
The payments to keep Head Start afloat were expected on Nov. 1, but those payments were missed due to the shutdown, which is now in its 34th day.
Around half a dozen of the 1,600 centers associated with the program didn’t receive the October grants, and 140 centers did not get their federal funding for November.
The government-funded services include Head Start preschool programs, which serve 3-year-old and 4-year-old children, and Early Head Start programs for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women.
In total, the programs have a capacity of 65,000 preschool-age children and expectant parents.
On Oct. 27, the National Head Start Association issued a statement calling on Congress to “immediately end the federal government shutdown.”
“For thousands of families, Head Start is not optional—it is essential,” said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association.
“With each passing day of the shutdown, families are pushed closer to crisis. In fact … 65,000 Head Start children in communities across America are at risk of losing the learning, nutrition, health services, and the stability they depend on.
“Congress must act now to end the shutdown and protect these children, families, and communities.”
As of the first of this month, many centers reported that they will close indefinitely; however, some have received emergency funding from local governments and school districts.
Hundreds of children from centers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Oklahoma were sent home with flyers warning of the possible closures, which could remain shuttered until the end of the shutdown.
Those centers alone serve more than 1,100 children.
Additionally, around 900 staff members from Head Start programs have been furloughed until funding is restored.
