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12h ago

Shutdown Blocks Head Start Grants, Putting 65,000 Children’s Services at Risk Nov. 1

Grant disbursements are frozen during the monthlong shutdown, forcing local providers to turn to furloughs or short-term stopgaps.

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(KSTP-TV)
Family Educator Lisa Benson-Nuyen points to a calendar that shows the last day of school at the Meadow Lakes CCS Early Learning, a Head Start center, Monday, May 6, 2024, in Wasilla, Alaska. According to Allison Daminger's research, women are more likely to keep tabs on their children's daycare and school schedules. Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo

Overview

  • The Office of Head Start says it cannot issue operating grants during the shutdown, leaving roughly 130 to 140 programs serving more than 56,000 to 65,000 children without scheduled Nov. 1 awards across 41 states and Puerto Rico.
  • East Coast Migrant Head Start Project notified officials it will furlough 258 employees and close all offices starting Nov. 1 unless federal appropriations resume.
  • In Wisconsin, Southwest Community Action Program will close nine preschool classrooms by Nov. 3, and Sheboygan Human Rights Association expects to maintain services only through mid-November using a state supplement.
  • Minnesota’s Families First plans to draw about $800,000 in state funds and limited reserves to operate into mid-December as four state programs serving about 1,300 children await Nov. 1 grants, while Chicago-area programs face a Dec. 1 cliff.
  • State and national associations say Congress remains at an impasse, leaving parents facing loss of child care, meals, and health supports, with some families also bracing for potential SNAP disruptions.