Copyright MassLive
Head Start programs in more than 40 states, including Massachusetts, won’t receive the funding they need to operate if the federal government remains shut down on Nov. 1. Head Start is a federal program that provides for children between zero and five from low-income families to receive quality early education services, according to the state. Federal funds for the programs, which are run by schools, local governments and nonprofits, are dispersed on a staggered grant cycle, meaning different programs get funds at different times each year. Head Start centers serve hundreds of thousands of low-income families. The preschools provide two meals a day to students, along with medical screenings and dental care. Many of the children who attend Head Start have parents working in hourly jobs who risk losing work if they do not have child care. But during a shutdown, the money is not dispersed, leaving many Head Start programs on the brink of closing their doors. When the shutdown began on Oct. 1, programs in three states — Alabama, Florida and South Carolina — lost funding. Now, if the shutdown continues to Nov. 1, programs in 41 states and Puerto Rico will run out of money. In all, an estimated 65,000 children will be affected by the programs that lose funding. Tommy Sheridan, the deputy director of the National Head Start Association, told ABC News that the longer the shutdown goes, the more likely it is for there to be “deep impacts on children and families that we serve.” “At the end of the day, children and families should never be put at risk because of political gridlock. However, that’s exactly what’s happening right now,” he said. Head Start faces a string of challenges Launched six decades ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, Head Start has a history of bipartisan support but has faced calls this year to cut its funding. A budget document showed the White House weighed shutting down Head Start altogether, a prospect that sparked an outcry from both sides of the aisle before the Trump administration backed away from the proposal. Project 2025, a detailed set of policy recommendations authored by the conservative Heritage Foundation, recommended eliminating Head Start. In January, Head Start operators struggled to access their federal money due to issues with the government’s online portal. Some had to shut down temporarily. The current government shutdown began when Congress failed to pass a bill to fund the government. In a standoff with the Trump administration, Democrats are insisting on extending tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans and restoring Medicaid funding cuts. Without the tax credits, more than 20 million Americans on Affordable Care Act plans would see their health care costs rise. Republicans say they won’t discuss the health care subsidies, or any other policy, until the government reopens. Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington Head Start Association, said he is eager for Congress to end the shutdown. But he said he also knows that many Head Start families and staff members rely on Medicaid and on the Affordable Care Act plans. “I’m glad that the Democrats are fighting to restore health care access,” Ryan said. “I’m also really cognizant of the ramifications of the government shutdown.”
