Early learning and child care programs serving more than 200 Arizona children have lost access to federal funding due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Head Start programs in 41 states, including Arizona, did not receive funding that was scheduled to go out on Nov. 1, according to First Five Years Fund, a bipartisan advocacy organization.
Over 17,000 children are enrolled in Head Start programs in the state, according to the National Head Start Association. The November cuts affected 210 children in Arizona.
“I am so incredibly frustrated by the dysfunction in Washington and these politicians who don't care about the harm that they're causing to Arizonans or Americans,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said.
Eve DelReal, president of the Arizona Head Start Association, said 2,000 children are at risk of losing services if the government doesn’t reopen by December.
“Head Start often is the only space where vulnerable children receive health screenings, meals, and emotional support in addition to our high-quality early ed. If our doors close, families lose far more than childcare; they lose access to critical services that keep children healthy, safe, and ready to learn. The ripple effects would touch every part of our community,” she said.
Nationally, 19 programs in 15 states have closed due to the shutdown. So far, there are no confirmed closures in Arizona, according to information provided by DelReal.
“Head Start often is the only space where vulnerable children receive health screenings, meals, and emotional support in addition to our high-quality early ed. If our doors close, families lose far more than childcare; they lose access to critical services that keep children healthy, safe, and ready to learn. The ripple effects would touch every part of our community," DelReal said.
Hobbs says there is not much the state can do to supplement the lost funding.
“The federal government has the ability to fix this by dealing with their politics and figuring out how to get together and negotiate a budget like we did in Arizona to fund services and to keep the government moving so that these people aren't harmed,” she said.
The November cuts affected around 60,000 kids nationwide, according to First Five Years Fund.
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