The agency that operates the only Head Start program in Santa Cruz County is stepping away, paving the way for a federal contractor to take over and reopen classrooms for more than 200 families who have been without child care for a month.

Encompass Community Services shuttered classrooms and laid off 95 teachers and staffers on October 31 after running low on cash. The agency was due to receive a fresh batch of funds on Nov. 1, but the 43-day federal government shutdown delayed the payments.

“In response to the extended federal shutdown, the delayed funding decisions, and the urgent need for stability for the families we serve, we concluded that stepping away from this grant now is the most responsible way to ensure that Head Start services resume as quickly as possible,” the agen

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