Though funded by the federal government, local Head Start Programs will be not be impacted by the ongoing government budget impasse.
LBJ&C Head Start offers free education programs for children between the ages of three and five. Director Penny Meadows said programs in all 12 counties will not be affected.
“LBJ&C’s fiscal year is May 1- April 30,” Meadows said. “So we already have our notice of award to get us through April 30, and we have not experienced any kind of financial setbacks.”
Meadows said if the government shutdown continues into March or April, then the shutdown would have an impact on the program’s funding. However, Meadows said she is unable to contact people from the Head Start regional office because they are federal employees.
“We do not have anyone to talk to at this point in time, you know, if something were to happen,” Meadows said. “So we are just running things as we run things every day, as if they are there and following the guidelines that are there for us.”
Meadows said she still has her board of directors and policy council to consult with before making decisions for the program. Meadows said Head Start staff are not considered federal employees and are covered through a grant.
“I do keep my families and the staff alert, so that hopefully they don’t have any undue stress about concerns about whether their children are gonna have a place to go, or the staff are gonna get paid,” Meadows said. “And so I do try to make sure that I do something reassuring just ever so often to make sure that they know that hey, we are still okay.”
Meadows said even though the government shutdown is not significantly impacting Head Start yet, she still stresses the importance of supporting the Head Start Program.