Tlingit and Haida Central Council operates the federal program in 10 Southeast Alaska communities, serving about 250 pre-school children.
Director Albert Rinehart says funding is guaranteed through the end of the year.
But program offices in the nation’s capital are closed.
“Our primary contracts are in D.C. so none of our program specialists or the regional manager are available, because they’re shut down.”
Teachers are the essential employees, and at least in Southeast, the youngsters are not expected to miss any classes, Rinehart says.
Head Start is already dealing with a 5.3 percent cut in federal funding taken earlier this year.
“I don’t think you can put a value on a day missed of Head Start. We already missed three weeks because of sequestration. So the number of days that children could have been in classrooms learning and interacting with each other was lost and who knows down the road what the impact of that will be.”
Juneau has four Head Start classrooms. Though they’re open, Rinehart says the uncertainty of a government shutdown takes its toll on teachers and other staff worried about the future. He says Tlingit and Haida’s application for next year’s Head Start funding is due in Washington, D.C. today. He wonders who will be on the other end to receive it.
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