TEMPE — The Head Start childcare program is at risk of losing funding due to the ongoing government shutdown — a move that could leave thousands of children across Arizona without care.
Head Start provides free childcare for kids under five and supports families living at or below the federal poverty line.
It also offers help for children with special needs, nutrition programs, and other family services.
How big is Head Start’s impact on Arizona?
In Arizona, about 17,000 children are currently enrolled, according to Eve DelReal, president of the Arizona Head Start Association. She said three locations in the state are at risk of closing if the government doesn’t renew funding.
DelReal added that 90% of enrolled children also receive public assistance, and losing SNAP benefits would make things even harder for families.
“In addition to the reductions that families are anticipating to SNAP, that’s a huge hit for a family that is struggling already through a time when we know resources in the community are very limited,” DelReal told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
DelReal said 2,300 children would be impacted if the three Arizona locations shut down, leaving parents to find alternate care and staff without a job.
“We’re putting children at risk. Families are going to have to consider utilizing unlicensed care, family, friends or neighbors to be able to sustain a level of care for them to be able to maintain their employment,” she said.
Issue worsens Arizona’s ongoing issues with child care
Arizona is already facing a childcare shortage, with more children looking to enroll in childcare spots than there are available.
“The state of Arizona has a wait list for childcare subsidy of 10,000 children. If you add Head Start children to that, these 2,000 potential children, it just creates a bigger issue for an already very strained system of service,” DelReal said.
DelReal is also the director for Head Start services with Southwest Human Development, and she said that location is one of the programs at risk, with a federal renewal date of November 30th. If the program isn’t renewed, it could be hard to reopen after funding returns.
“Our capacity to resume services once we determine a closure is challenging because of all of the integrated components of the Head Start program,” she explained, calling the program a “vital resource” for the community.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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