Virginia Head Start programs remain open despite federal funding delays from government shutdown

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia's Head Start programs remain open amid the wave of closures across the country, triggered by the ongoing government shutdown.

According to the Virginia Head Start Association (VAHSA), none of the state's Head Start programs are facing closure. Head Start is a federally funded program that provides free early childhood education and services to low-income families.

"If programs don't have funding or don't have agencies that can help provide the funding needed, they may have to cut their services," said Dr. Cindy Smith, a professor of human development and family science at Virginia Tech.

That's now the reality for nearly two dozen centers nationwide. Federal grants for these programs renew on a staggered schedule. When the shutdown extended past Saturday, Nov. 1, some programs nationwide missed their funding renewals and were forced to close.

VAHSA Executive Director, Dawn Ault, says only two grant recipients in the state were due for renewal on Saturday. One of those division grantees is Hanover County Public Schools, which has 101 students enrolled in its Head Start program, according to the division's spokesperson.

According to Ault, both divisions will cover costs to keep classrooms and services open, with hopes to be reimbursed when the federal government reopens.

Dr. Smith said that while it's good to see schools prioritizing the program, she worries it's creating an added burden. 

"It's a system that's already overburdened and so there's only so many times local schools can step in," she said. "There's only so many times [they] can shift funding around."

Ault said Virginia divisions are in a "good position" since they weren't impacted by last month's funding delays. However, she warned that closures could be considered for Virginia's Head Start centers if the shutdown extends after Dec. 1.

"It's going to create a ripple effect where the agencies are going to be strained and stressed, the educators, the families, and that stress is going to transfer down to the children as well," Smith said.

A spokesperson for Hanover County Public Schools said the decision to use contingency funding will be reviewed monthly as they monitor the status of the ongoing shutdown. 8News has not been able to confirm the second division impacted by the grant delays.