The ongoing government shutdown threatens to severely impact childcare access for many families across the United States.
One state in particular is already feeling the effects, as Alabama is seeing some preschool programs being affected. In a statement, the executive director of Childcare Resources in Birmingham, Joan Wright, said that the situation is urgent, noting that education matters.
Access to Childcare Services
Wright also stressed that more than 900 Alabama families have already lost access to Head Start services due to the shutdown. She said that these families are now forced to think about how they could possibly afford to pay for childcare.
Head Start is a federal program that provides services to ensure that students who come from low-income households and other similar situations by helping them attend preschool for free. Wright added that programs with an Oct. 1 funding year are missing out, shutting down some Alabama facilities, which leaves roughly 300 staff members out of a job, according to WBRC.
Additionally, Childcare Resources reported that it was not seeing direct impacts to its Head Start programs, but warned that if the government shutdown continues, funding could be put in jeopardy.
Another concern amid the ongoing shutdown is children’s access to food, as Head Start programs typically provide kids with two meals every day. Childcare Resources also reported that nearly 200 families in its program heavily rely on SNAP benefits, which have been severely affected by the situation.
Some of the centers that have not received funding on Nov. 1 said that they are closing indefinitely, while others are desperately staying afloat thanks to emergency funding from local governments and school districts, ABC News reported.
The Effects of the Government Shutdown
Sarah Sloan, who is responsible for overseeing small-town Head Start centers in Scioto County in Ohio, said that kids love school. She added that the fact they are not able to attend classes is “breaking their hearts.”
The preschools closing as of Monday include 24 Migrant and Seasonal Head Start centers, which are spread across five different states. They typically operate on 10- to 12-hour days, so they could accommodate the long hours parents work on farms.
The majority of families that qualify for the federal preschool program are also believed to rely on SNAP benefits. While the latter has run dry of funding due to the shutdown, two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use emergency reserve funds to keep the program operational, as per Alabama Public Radio.
Originally published on parentherald.com
