'It's painful:' Head Start centers at risk of closure as government shutdown drags on
More than 100 Head Start programs could see their federal grants cut off in November if Congress doesn't pass a bill to reopen the government.
More than 100 Head Start programs could see their federal grants cut off in November if Congress doesn't pass a bill to reopen the government.
More than 100 Head Start programs could see their federal grants cut off in November if Congress doesn't pass a bill to reopen the government.
Some Head Start centers are at risk of closure in the coming days if Congress doesn't reach a deal to end the government shutdown.
That could cause a lapse in critical early education, health, and nutrition services for tens of thousands of children from low-income families.
"A little bit more than 65,000 children and families might be impacted," said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association. "The development of children is based on their timeline, not on Washington's timeline, so to hear that the decisions they're making in D.C. are impacting that and are going to set children back is deeply alarming."
Sheridan said 140 Head Start programs, or about 10% of providers nationwide, could see disruptions to their federal grant funding because of the shutdown. He said most of those programs are set to miss payments on Nov. 1, but a handful of providers were cut off on Oct. 1.
The Central Kentucky Community Action Council serves about 400 kids through its Head Start programs, according to executive director Bryan Conover. He said their $10 million federal grant, which is currently in flux, accounts for about half of their funding.
Asked if they're at risk of closing next month, Conover said, "The chances are real. I don't want to put a number on it, but yes, we are having to keep that option on the table."
"It's painful. I mean, that there's no other way to really spin this," Conover added.
Like many providers, Conover says they're scrambling to find alternative funding sources to keep their doors open.
Mary Esselman, president and CEO of Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City, Missouri, said they're dipping into reserves for now, but that option comes with risks. She said they haven't received any assurances yet that they'll be reimbursed for those expenses once the shutdown ends.
"It's very worrisome, because obviously we want to make sure that we're sound as an organization," Esselman said.
Asked about those assurances, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, told us on Friday, "Head Start is an incredibly important program, and we're going to make sure that they are reimbursed."
The White House Office of Management and Budget didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.
