Thousands of preschoolers could lose access to Head Start due to shutdown

WASHINGTON Funding for scores of Head Start programs hung in the balance as the government shutdown continued Monday without an end in sight.

Unless a deal is reached to end the ongoing funding lapse that began Oct. 1, more than 65,000 children in 140 local Head Start programs across 41 states and Puerto Rico will not get their federal grant funding come Nov. 1, according to the National Head Start Association. The federal government spent about $12.3 billion on the program in fiscal 2025.