Youngsters in a Head Start program work on a coloring project. The federal government shutdown could affect Head Start programs nationwide beginning Nov. 1.
Courtesy photo
By Antonio Ray Harvey
Contributing Writer
SACRAMENTO — Head Start programs in California and across the country will not receive their operational funding if the federal government shutdown extends beyond Nov. 1. A total of 134 early-learning programs are located in 41 states and Puerto Rico and serve more than 65,000 children, according to the First Five Fund.
The First Five Years Fund is a national organization that advocates for federal early childhood education and childcare policies.
The Head Start program was created in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. It started as a summer-only demonstration project to provide comprehensive early childhood education, health, and nutrition services to children from low-income families.
The program supports early childhood education and school readiness for the country’s most vulnerable children. It serves low-income children from birth to age 5, including those living in poverty, in foster care and experiencing homelessness.
In California, the state had approximately 1,835 Head Start or Early Head Start centers had with about 94,577 funded slots in 2023, according to a report by Learning Policy Institute, a nonprofit organization that conducts research and advocates for evidence-based education policies.
African American children make up about 28% of all Head Start participants nationally.
Based on analyses of the 2020-21 school year from the National Institute for Early Education Research, Black or African American children made up 8% of Head Start and Early Head Start children in California. The state’s overall Black child population hovers around 5.6%.
Head Start is not the only government program that could be shutting down Nov. 1.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also know as SNAP, is set to run out in November as well, and benefits are at risk of not being paid, affecting approximately 42 million Americans. On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture notified states that there will not be enough money to cover full benefits if the shutdown continues.
According to the California Association of Food Banks, approximately 5.5 million people in California receive food assistance through SNAP, known as CalFresh in the state. In Los Angeles County, 1,578,521 people receive CalFresh assistance.
On Oct. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he will deploy the California National Guard and state volunteers to help distribute food as the federal shutdown threatens benefits for millions of residents.
“This is serious, this is urgent — and requires immediate action,” Newsom said. “Millions of Americans rely on food benefits to feed their families, and while Republicans in Washington drag their feet, California is stepping up once again to fill in the gaps.”
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, earlier this month authored legislation to protect children and families in the Head Start program from the impacts of the ongoing government shutdown. Waters said that previous government shutdowns have caused a few local Head Start grant recipients to temporarily close, suspending programs and services with minimal or no warning.
During the October 2013 shutdown, Waters said the Office of Management and Budget reported that six Head Start grant recipients serving nearly 6,300 children closed their doors for several days.
“Vulnerable children and families and the dedicated Head Start teachers and staff who serve them should not have to suffer because of a government shutdown that is beyond their control,” said Waters, a former Head Start teacher. “I introduced this bill to ensure that Head Start grant recipients will be able to remain open and continue to serve the children and families who depend on them.”
Antonio Ray Harvey is a reporter for California Black Media.
