As the federal government shutdown stretches on, thousands of children in Massachusetts could lose access to early childhood care if federal funding for Head Start programs runs out.

Six programs, including those in Lowell, New Bedford, and Western Massachusetts, were scheduled to receive their annual federal funds on November 1. If the shutdown continues, that money will not be disbursed.

The state is advancing grants to help affected programs stay afloat, but according to the Massachusetts Head Start Association (MHSA), Brockton’s Self Help Head Start program is still slated to shut down on Monday. MHSA said the remaining five programs will stay open as long as they can.

“We made these funds available in advance to cover a few weeks of programs, but Brockton assessed there might be a

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