"In Florida, a cluster of Head Start programs serve the children of migrant and seasonal farm workers. DANIEL JAIME: I was a former migrant worker, was a Head Start child, migrant Head Start child. MILLS: Daniel Jaime runs six Head Start programs across a handful of counties as a part of the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. JAIME: But I still consider myself a migrant farm worker 'cause I still every now and then go out and pick muscadine grapes and blueberries."
"In any given year, Jaime's centers serve around 500 children. Without federal funding, those centers will be forced to shut down. That could keep many farm workers at home, caring for children. JAIME: It's just a full circle from, you know, not having the services for these children, for growers not having their workers there and also maybe loss of production. If they don't have the manpower, then what do they do?"
"He worries that to keep working the fall harvest, some may have no choice but to leave their children in less than ideal settings. JAIME: That's the biggest thing for me right now, is knowing that we have our babies out there and we can't serve them in the center. MILLS: Without federal funding, Jaime's Head Start programs will shut down after Friday."
Federal funding for Head Start is paused during the government shutdown, putting roughly 65,000 low-income children at risk of losing child care and preschool access if funding is not restored by November 1. Migrant and seasonal farmworker families rely on Head Start centers that serve hundreds of children; those centers will be forced to close without federal support, potentially keeping parents home or forcing children into less safe care. Nationally, 134 Head Start programs have funding cycles beginning November 1 that cannot be renewed during the shutdown, risking broader disruptions to services.
Read at www.npr.org
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