Copyright Anchorage Daily News
A trio of Head Start programs in Alaska could be in jeopardy of laying off staff or closing if the federal government shutdown doesn’t end soon. The federal Office of Head Start has not approved yearly grants during the shutdown, which started Oct. 1. Program directors in Alaska say they are hoping the government will pass a budget in time to keep their doors open. Head Start provides child care for low-income families, foster families, homeless children and children with disabilities, and Head Start facilities are almost entirely funded by the federal government. Alaska’s 17 Head Start grantees run 99 program sites statewide that serve over 2,500 children. Nationwide, more than 833,000 children attend Head Start programs. Head Start services are free, including meals, children’s screening for physical health and developmental delays, mental health services and support for children with disabilities. Anchorage nonprofit child care provider Kids’ Corps Inc. submitted its grant request to federal officials in July. Without a government shutdown, they would typically receive about $5.3 million on Nov. 1 when their yearly grant renews, according to Executive Director Katrina Ahlfield. Ahlfield said she is confident Kids’ Corps can operate through November and until mid-December, if needed. But she said she is concerned about how long the shutdown could go on. “Kids’ Corps is fortunate to have some emergency reserve savings. A lot of programs are not going to be in the same situation, and they will have to close their doors pretty quickly,” Ahlfield said. “Our plan is to keep our doors open to really minimize the impact to children and families and staff for as long as we can.” Kids’ Corps has five locations across Anchorage that serve a total of 189 kids, and about 20% have a diagnosed disability. Ahlfield said Kids’ Corps’ savings had been planned for relocating one of their programs out of a 60-year-old building. “A lot of that savings was really dedicated to upgrading our facilities,” Ahlfield said. “So we’re grateful that we have it, but at the same time it’s too bad that we’re going to have to use it.” In addition to Kids’ Corps in Anchorage, Head Start programs run by the Tanana Chiefs Conference in Fairbanks and the Metlakatla Indian Community in Southeast Alaska renew their yearly grants in December, according to CCS Early Learning Executive Director Mark Lackey. Another five programs face January grant renewal dates. Ahlfield estimates that even if the shutdown were to end tomorrow, it would likely take several weeks for the Office of Head Start to work through the backlog of grant applications. They’re one of 140 Head Start programs serving over 65,000 children nationwide that renew their grants in November each year. “My fear is that they haven’t been able to do any processing or real work for the last three weeks, and so they’re going to be backlogged,” Ahlfield said. “They’re going to have to work really hard to get grants out the door.” A half-dozen Head Start programs in the Lower 48 that expected grant renewals in October have struggled to keep their doors open, the Associated Press reported. Ahlfield said she’s also worried about the more than 90 people who work for Kids’ Corps, as well as the greater impact to the Anchorage community if Head Starts close. Anchorage had more than 300 child care businesses in 2015, and now has about 180. That falls about 41% short of the needed capacity, according to statewide child care nonprofit thread. “There would definitely be a ripple effect in Anchorage,” Ahlfield said. Staffing challenges Unlike private child care centers, Head Starts cannot increase tuition rates to raise revenue. Without additional funding, wages for employees have remained low, and many employees leave Head Start for jobs with local school districts, program directors in Alaska say. Federal grants have not included a cost of living adjustment since 2023, and rising costs due to inflation have caused difficulties staffing Head Starts nationwide — but especially in rural Alaska. Head Start is the only available child care option in many rural communities. Alaska Head Start Association President Deb Trowbridge runs a Head Start program in Nome for Kawerak, a nonprofit tribal consortium. She’s one of several Alaska Head Start program directors who submitted requests to federal officials to reduce the number of children they serve at the same funding level to increase pay for staff. “We need to provide more services, and we can’t because we don’t have the staff,” Trowbridge said. Just outside Wasilla, CCS Early Learning closed its Meadow Lakes Head Start location last year due to insufficient funding. Lackey, the executive director, said every Head Start program seeks additional support outside of what the state and federal government provide. “Even though state funding finally got back to where it needed to be, federal funding has not kept up with inflation, and our wages are so low that the only way that we can increase our wages to keep up with inflation is to lay off staff, which means we have to serve fewer kids,” Lackey said. The federal Office of Head Start allocates about $62 million for Alaska each year, which accounts for 80% of operating costs with the state providing a 20% match, subject to legislative approval. Neither federal cost-of-living adjustments nor the state’s increased allocation have kept up with inflation over time. Kids’ Corps reduced its capacity by 68 spots two years ago after submitting a request to federal officials. Ahlfield said it was a tough decision, but the right one. They’ve been able to maintain adequate staffing levels since then. “I would love to see our Congress pass a full budget, not just a continuing resolution, but a budget that includes an increase to Head Start for cost of living adjustment,” Ahlfield said. Alaska’s congressional delegation has diverged in its approach to the shutdown. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has called for unity and put forward proposals to fund the federal government while extending health insurance tax credits. Her Republican colleagues, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, have blamed Democrats for the shutdown, and have called on them topass a continuing resolution.
