Iracema Torres was starting a new job as a Santa Cruz County public health worker when her daughter’s Head Start center closed more than two weeks ago.

The job was promising: She liked the benefits, hours and coworkers and felt good about helping single parents like herself recover from substance abuse, domestic violence and other life struggles. The center’s closure, however, meant she had to take an unpaid leave to care for her 2-year-old.

“I am just stuck because I don’t have anyone to help me with child care,” Torres said. “It’s been super hard.”

The government was starting to reopen on Thursday, but the fallout of the longest shutdown in U.S. history will last longer for more than 200 low-income families who send their children to a Head Start program run by Encompass Community S

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