In a troubling development that could impact some of the most vulnerable children in the United States, Head Start programs are facing a potential shutdown due to the looming cessation of federal funding at the end of the month. These programs, crucial for providing early childhood education to tens of thousands of the nation’s neediest preschoolers, are grappling with the uncertainty of their financial future.

Head Start relies almost entirely on federal support, making it particularly susceptible to any disruptions in funding. These programs, which are administered by schools, local governments, and nonprofits, receive annual grants without the option to carry over unspent funds from previous years. This system means that any delay in grant disbursement can have immediate and severe effects.

With the new grants currently on pause, several Head Start programs have already missed their expected federal payments as of October 1. As a result, they are operating on rapidly depleting reserves or with assistance from local governments. If the government shutdown persists, another 134 programs are poised to miss their scheduled funding on November 1, according to the National Head Start Association. This situation places over 65,000 Head Start seats nationwide in jeopardy.

In Tallahassee, Florida, the Head Start program run by Capital Area Community Action Agency Inc. is already feeling the pinch. The program has been operating on minimal resources since its federal funding halted at the beginning of the month, as explained by interim CEO Nina Singleton Self. To remain operational, the agency has been tapping into reserves, securing an advance on a city grant, and drawing from a line of credit, but these measures are only temporary solutions.

To continue beyond this week, Self is considering the drastic measure of asking staff to work without pay. She is preparing them for this financial uncertainty by advising on accessing loans from retirement accounts or applying for utility assistance programs. In a bid to keep the doors open, she has also reached out to other nonprofits and philanthropic organizations for support.

“We’re reaching out for everything that we can,” Self said.

Preschool centers count the days they could stay open

Another organization in north Florida that operates eight rural Head Start centers for 365 kids was cut off Oct. 1 and has enough funding to keep its doors open until the end of November.

After that, “I don’t really know what to tell you,” said Michele Ward, executive director of Suwanee Valley Community Coordinated Child Care.

In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas warned Head Start centers that serve 2,300 children will have to shutter if the federal government remains closed.

“Closing early childhood care for thousands of Kansas City children and families will have devastating effects on thousands of Kansas City families, workplaces and, most importantly, kids,” said Lucas, a Democrat.

Rekah Strong, who leads a Vancouver, Washington-based organization that operates Head Start centers, said some likely will have to shut down around Nov. 1, when the organization would normally receive its federal grant. She doesn’t see other funding options.

Closing a center even briefly has ripple effects, Head Start leaders warn. The early education program provides 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.

“Every day this shutdown continues, programs are forced to make impossible choices just to keep their doors open. Children cannot wait,” said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association.

Low-income families that rely on Head Start are facing the prospect of losing other assistance as well. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC, nearly ran out of money because of the shutdown before President Donald Trump’s administration provided $300 million to keep it running temporarily. The Republican president’s big tax breaks and spending cuts law also imposes cuts on Medicaid and food stamps.

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 for its funding to be cut back.

A budget document showed the White House weighed shutting down Head Start altogether, a prospect that led to an outcry from both sides of the aisle before Trump’s 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 because of problems with the government’s online portal. Some had to shut down temporarily.

The shutdown began when Congress failed to pass a bill to fund the government. In a standoff with the Trump administration, Democrats are insisting on the extension of tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans and the restoration of cuts made to Medicaid. 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.”