DAYTON — Head start programs across Ohio are closing their doors due to a lack of funding from the government shutdown. Centers in the Miami Valley that help lower-income families are making plans to keep their doors open.
Julie Stone, the director of the Ohio Head Start Association, said there are seven programs in Ohio that are counting on funding on Nov. 1, which isn’t going to come.
Two of those centers have already closed their doors and laid off workers, and others have found alternatives that will only last weeks, which is a huge community impact, said Stone.
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“The vast majority of Head Start parents are working parents and they count on Head Start to be a safe, nurturing environment for their child while they go to work,” said Stone.
Berta Velilla, CEO of Miami Valley Child Development Centers, oversees Head Start facilities that serve 2,000 children in three counties.
Velilla said she was worried about the children, their families and all the employees affected.
“We call ourselves difference makers and they truly are dedicated to supporting young kids, to supporting families,” said Velilla.
The Miami Valley centers are on a Jan. 1 deadline for their federal grants to run out and need a renewal. For children, workers, and their families, it’s the calm before the storm as they watch lawmakers try to make their political points.
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