WAYCROSS, Ga. — Starting November 3, numerous infants and young children in Southeast Georgia will not be able to attend their usual educational classes.

With federal funds no longer available, Action Pact has decided to halt its Head Start and Early Head Start initiatives at all sites. These programs are crucial for providing early educational support to children from disadvantaged or low-income backgrounds, equipping them with essential skills for school success. The programs cater to children ranging from infancy up to age five.

“We deeply regret the disruption this closure will cause to the nearly 600 families we serve and are committed to resuming the program as soon as the necessary funding becomes available,” stated Action Pact in their announcement.

In a social media post, Executive Director Diane Rogers mentioned that nearly 200 employees will be left without pay during the program’s suspension. Meanwhile, families with working parents or guardians will need to find alternative childcare solutions as their children remain out of class.

Action Pact operates more than a dozen Head Start/Early Head Start centers in Georgia, including in Ware, Brantley Charlton and Pierce counties.

More Head Start programs across the country are expected to close in just the latest blow to families in need. Nov. 1 also marked the end of SNAP funding for now. Although the Trump Administration has been ordered to restart funding, it could take time to get a plan finalized and money disbursed,

Some of the local effects have been more permanent. A Jacksonville school, the Jericho School for Children with Autism, cited the shutdown as the reason it closed its doors for good in October.