Head Start centers in face ‘dire’ funding loss from government shutdown

A “catastrophic” loss of funding is little over a week away for Head Start centers serving 2,500 children across Oklahoma.

If the nationwide government shutdown continues, four Head Start programs in Oklahoma will run out of federal funding on Nov. 1, threatening the closure of dozens of child care centers primarily serving low-income families in rural areas. These four Head Start programs, including centers operated by the Cherokee Nation and Choctaw Nation, reach the end of their fiscal year on Oct. 31.

“It’s a very dire situation right now, and the longer it goes on, the harder it’s going to be on our people that are greatest in need,” said Curtiss Mays, president of the Oklahoma Head Start Directors Association.

The Cherokee Nation has contingency plans in place if the shutdown