LOCALIZE IT: Some Head Start preschools are closing as the shutdown continues. See which ones

By MORIAH BALINGIT
AP Education Writer

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

The government shutdown is cutting off vital federal funding for Head Start centers around the country, shutting thousands of children and families out of preschool and other services.

The National Head Start Association estimates that closures are affecting 8,000 children and families, a number that could grow as the shutdown continues.

Head Start is a federal early education and family support program for the nation’s neediest families. It provides services from pregnancy through preschool, including prenatal support, home visits for parents with newborns and preschool. It is almost entirely funded by the federal government, making it particularly vulnerable to funding disruptions.

Here is a guide to covering the government shutdown’s impact for local Head Start centers. It also includes resources on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, another program relied upon by many low-income families.

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READ AP’S COVERAGE

Some Head Start preschools shutter as government shutdown continues

Government shutdown imperils dozens of Head Start preschool programs

WIC food program receives $300M to keep running during government shutdown

Government shutdown threatens WIC food aid program

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WHICH HEAD START CENTERS ARE CLOSING?

The National Head Start Association has been tracking closures in this shared document, but be sure to verify anything listed here as things on the ground are changing rapidly.

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FIND YOUR STATE: HOW MANY HEAD START SEATS ARE AT RISK?

The Head Start centers affected so far are the ones that were due to receive their federal funding for the year on either Oct. 1 or Nov. 1 — money that has not arrived because of the government shutdown.

Programs are on different grant cycles that start on the first of every month. And for the vast majority of their federal funding, programs can’t carry over money from one year to the next.

All told, slots for more than 65,000 children and expectant parents could be impacted in programs that have seen their federal disbursements disrupted by the shutdown. (That number represents how much each program is funded to serve, but under-enrolled programs may serve fewer kids and families.) NHSA has broken down the number of seats by state that would be affected. Those figures are available here.

Without their annual grant, some programs that have managed to keep their doors open are relying on other resources. But it’s unclear if they’ll receive back payments for the weeks they went without federal money. Counties and school districts that relied on federal funding for their Head Start operations are now footing the bill themselves. Some programs have money left over from state or federal grants that is unrestricted. Local philanthropies have kicked in money as well.

To learn if any of the Head Start programs in your community are at risk, start first with the Head Start association in your state, which is in contact with many program directors. If you reach out to a local Head Start, ask their leaders when the program is expecting its grant award. If it’s many months in the future, when the shutdown is expected to be resolved, it’s probably safe.

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ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

Data on how much the U.S. government spends annually for Head Start centers is available here: https://headstart.gov/browse/series/head-start-program-annual-fact-sheets.

Head Start programs — which are run by nonprofits, schools, local governments and tribes — are funded with annual grants from the Department of Health and Human Services and cannot carry over funding from one fiscal year to the next.

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.

Beyond the affects of the shutdown, many Head Start operators have a growing sense of unease under the administration of President Donald Trump. Not long after he took office, a website glitch locked Head Start programs around the country out of their funds — and some had to close. Layoffs have hit federal Head Start staff, and offices that support Head Start around the country have closed. An early budget draft leaked in the spring zeroed out Head Start funding, although the administration later backtracked on that position.

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WIC

Among other programs imperiled by the shutdown is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC. The shutdown hit right before it was due to receive its annual appropriation. After days of anxiety, the Trump administration in early October allocated $300 million to keep it running. The program in early November received another $450 million.

Some states — but not all — said they will use state money if necessary to plug the gaps and keep WIC money flowing until the federal government reopens and they can be reimbursed. County governments have also pitched in to save the program for their residents.

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service has extensive information on how widely WIC is used. In fiscal year 2024, it amounted to over $7 billion in aid. Data tables on this site include state-by-state breakdowns of participation and average food cost to serve women and infants: https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program

Though both are under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, WIC differs from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, because SNAP participants can buy almost any grocery item they want — regardless of the nutritional value. With WIC, recipients can only buy approved products that meet federal nutrition guidelines, including certain infant formulas, whole grain breads, eggs, milk and fresh produce. The goal is to help low-income households purchase nutritious staples that might normally be out of reach.

Only children under 5 and new and expectant mothers qualify for the program.

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CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS

— How are Head Start closures affecting families that rely on them for child care? Are there other child care options they can afford that would allow them to continue going to work? Are there families for whom these challenges have been compounded by cuts to food stamps?

— How are Head Start centers that lost federal grant money staying open? Do they have financial reserves or enough assistance from local governments to continue operating without it? How long can the reserves last?

— How are impacts on Head Start centers playing into political discussions around the government shutdown and social safety net programs. Head Start has a history of bipartisan support, but under the Trump administration it has faced calls for its funding to be cut back.

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Localize It is a resource produced regularly by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to the Local News Success team at localizeit@ap.org. View guides published in the last 30 days here.