KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) announced last week its Head Start partners across Jackson, Platte and Clay counties may need to temporarily close beginning Nov. 1.
Some local Head Start programs — which provide daycare services to low-income families — are now assessing their reserve funds to find out if they can temporarily remain open beyond Oct. 31.
That's the date when MARC's grant year ends.
MARC stated on its website it has not been notified whether they will be awarded funds for the next grant cycle that begins on Nov. 1.
"Without this official notification, MARC is unable to incur any expenses for Head Start services after Oct. 31 unless there is certainty of reimbursement," the organization posted last week on its website "We face the possibility of having to temporarily close facilities unless the situation is resolved quickly."
MARC Head Start Program Director Kasey Lawson said some while some partner programs have decided to use their reserve funds to temporarily stay open past Oct 31., other programs will not be able to do that. It's unclear which programs will continue services past Oct. 31 and how many will temporarily close, Lawson said.
Lawson said using reserve funds is a "risk" for local Head Start programs as it's not clear whether they would receive reimbursement in the future.
Executive Director of Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center Deborah Mann said it was a shock to read the announcement.
"A lot of uncertainties," Mann said. "Parents are asking, 'What am I supposed to do? I gotta go to work, I gotta go to school.'"
There are 2,300 students enrolled in MARC-affiliated Head Start programs across the Kansas City area.
Jhanee Hunt is not just a mom to one of those kids, she's a teacher to several students at Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center.
"Just making sure I have a job and he has somewhere to go is the scary part," she said about the potential impacts.
Hunt says without the Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center, she would not have childcare for her 6-month-old son.
"I'm only 19 and I am a single mother, so I raise him alone," she said. "I do have help, I do have a strong support system, but of course, my parents, they work throughout the day."
Mann said she and her team were meeting on Monday to decide whether Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center can continue its services beyond Oct. 31.
"My desire would be to keep going and just try to ride the storm, but we're not sure exactly what's going to happen," Mann said.
In addition to daycare, Mann said Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center offers pediatric and mental health services in addition to having a food pantry.
"Can you imagine what will happen if this was to shut down?" Mann said. "The people who would be impacted with school, with work, jobs? I mean, this is a ripple effect, not just early childhood."
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