Shutdown closes Head Start centers across states | JQJO

The government shutdown is forcing widespread Head Start closures, leaving working parents scrambling for child care and cutting off meals and therapy for vulnerable children. Dozens missed federal grants due Nov. 1; 140 programs remain unfunded with capacity for 65,000. Some shut indefinitely while others rely on short-term aid. Twenty-four Migrant and Seasonal centers in five states closed, affecting over 1,100 children and furloughing about 900 staff, with some parents considering bringing kids to fields. SNAP worries eased after court orders, but from Ohio to Kansas City to Washington state and rural Florida, distress is mounting.