OLYMPIA, WA – A bill is now in process to end the federal government shutdown but the current proposal would not guarantee Head Start programs hit hard by the shutdown would be funded after January.

Across the country, 20 Head Start programs had to fully or partially close as a result of the shutdown, including one in Washington state. Many others whose yearly funding cycle ended in October or November have had to rely on emergency funding sources to stay afloat.

Fiona Kranz, a Head Start teacher in Lacey, said her program serves as a lifeline for families.

“We have lots of kids who also are homeless and/or living with family,” Kranz pointed out. “This is, a lot of the times, the only hot meal they have in a day, or the only warm place that they can be to get out of the rain.”

The federally funded preschool program supports more than 20,000 children from low-income families up to age four in Washington. Head Start has a history of bipartisan support since it was launched 60 years ago but the program has faced calls this year for its funding to be cut back.

Head Start focuses on serving children from low-income families across the country and the program is not just about child care. It provides other needed services such as medical and dental care.

Kranz noted they provide a computer for families to look for jobs and apply for benefits like SNAP. She added her program supports children with special needs by creating Individualized Education Programs to prepare them for their next steps.

“Those kids now can enter kindergarten and elementary school,” Kranz emphasized. “They have what they need already and people know how to help them. And that’s huge.”

Data show at current funding levels, the need for Head Start is much higher than the program’s capacity. In 2020, only about half of income-eligible preschoolers and one in 10 eligible infants and toddlers were served due to limited funding.