Head Start programs that serve tens of thousands of the nation's neediest preschoolers are facing a cutoff of federal funding at the end of the month because of the government shutdown, leaving many scrambling to figure out how to keep their doors open.

The early education initiative is funded almost entirely by the federal government, making it particularly vulnerable to funding disruptions. The programs — which are run by schools, local governments and nonprofits — receive new grants annually and are not allowed to carry over unspent money.

With new grants on hold, a half dozen Head Start programs already missed federal disbursements they were expecting on Oct. 1 and are staying open with fast-dwindling reserves or help from local governments.

Another 134 programs will not receive federal money that is due Nov. 1 if the government does not reopen, according to the National Head Start Association. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.

In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas warned Head Start centers that serve 2,300 children will have to shutter if the federal government remains closed.

The Mid-America Regional Council or MARC serves as a federal grantee for Head Start programs in the Kansas City, Missouri metro area for Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties serving approximately 400 years and 2,300 children.

“For the community of families that we serve in Head Start, it is a huge impact to their family, specifically around being able to work, making sure hours work for their schedules based on what their needs are individually for their family,” Head Start Program Director at MARC Kasey Lawsone said. “And I think the loss of childcare for potentially 2,350 children and families could be a huge impact, not only on our programs, but on the region as a whole.”

In Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Christina Middleton is currently sending her three-year-old daughter to a head start program after her now 11-year-old had completed the program.

“My initial reaction is my heart; I could just feel it like drop inside my body and my I just had knots in my stomach because there are so many families that would be affected by head start closing down,” Middleton said. “And that's what bothers me the most because my family would be able to figure it out, but other families they wouldn't.”

Lee’s Summit School District announced that it would cover the cost for head start programs in their district.

“Some do have contingency plans. And again, this is at a risk of them not being reimbursed to be able to use those funds. And so, it varies from program to program on how they can facilitate the reimbursement or if they have funds available outside of what they receive from Mid-America Regional Council from their Head Start award,” Lawson said.