Dozens of headstart programs, which provide childcare and pre -school education for low -income children, cannot access the previously approved federal government and have some programs in the next few days. It is at risk of closing it. National Head Start Association.
The program said that the Federal Fund was frozen in the second week of the Trump administration, which could not be reduced to pay for salaries and public interest businesses. The freeze began last week with an office with a management and budget notes, which was immediately canceled.
The White House stated that the head start program should not be affected by freezing, and the judge blocked his legal challenge in freezing. Nevertheless, more than 45 programs that provide services to 20,000 children in 23 states are facing funds delay. Nationwide, the head start advertised funds to serve more than 750,000 children.
The group said that some programs were unable to pay, some programs had to be temporarily shutted down, and other programs were at risk in the next few days. And it is a wider pattern of seeing some non -profit organizations that depend on the federal funds that cannot be accessed in the early days of the Trump administration.
“It’s unknown why this delay is occurring, but do you need to solve it right away, and thousands of families and their children depend on their work, go to school and develop. Reduced important early care and educational services. ”
Directed the financing of the headstart, and the government for children and families, part of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, did not immediately respond to comments on delays in funding.
The confusion of financing can bring out a drastic consequences to family and staff.
In Washington, there was one program of the rural Olympic Peninsula, which provides 100 children, and 12 % of them are homeless, so they could not access the funds last week to pay for invoices. Joel Ryan, an executive director of the Washington Head Start Association and an executive director of early childhood education and support programs, will continue to receive a message saying “approval is held.”
“They are really worried about whether they can pay their invoice. Can they pay the staff? If that continues, they are these low -income children and them. Can you provide childcare to their support for their families? ”
Ryan said that financing was not affecting all the programs in his state. Instead, it’s like a rolling blackout, and it is uncertain from one day to the next day, whether you can create a salary in that week or to cover your rent and other expenses. I will create it. He stated that most of the Washington program received almost all funds from the Federal subsidy and had no alternative funding.
Last week, some Washington’s programs have notified their families that they may have to close the door, but so far all the state programs have been open.
Ryan said he had talked to one program that he had been waiting for from last Wednesday to be able to pay his salary on Friday.
In Wisconsin, according to the National Head Start Association, at least one headstart program had to temporarily shut down, but it was necessary to resume when funds recovered on Wednesday.
In Illinois, at least four headstart programs were unable to access funding, Lauri Morrison-Frichtl, an executive director of the Illino Head Start Start Association, said. Of these programs, there is a danger of closing the door in the next few days if the problem is not solved.
“This is terrible. These families are the most risky, are the most vulnerable in our states, and rely on many services,” said Morrison Friedle. “For some of our children, we meet two -thirds of the needs of nutrition every day. The family relys on us and put the child in a safe, educational and caring place. I asked.
Even if the funds are resolved, Ryan says that this experience rattled in the early childhood education community about what the fate of their programs would be in the long term.
“There are many concerns that this is the beginning and not the end of the Trump administration’s issue,” he said.
Daniels of NBC News has contributed.
This story first appeared on nbcnews.com. Details from NBC News:
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