WASHINGTON – Along with food stamps, air travel, and other casualties of the prolonged federal government shutdown, many Head Start programs will run out of money Saturday, threatening early learning, food assistance and health screenings for preschoolers, as well as free childcare and job training for their lower-income parents.

About 10% of the programs nationwide won’t receive funds Saturday, affecting more than 58,600 children at 134 Head Start centers in 41 states, according to the National Head Start Association .

In Louisiana, 1,344 children at more than a dozen centers , primarily in New Orleans and Acadiana, have scrambled to cover the impact of not receiving checks.

“We know that the affected grantees will likely stay open as long as they can using the revenue funds or ot

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