Georgia Head Start programs secured by 45-day emergency bridge loan amid shutdown

Head Start funding amid federal shutdown

Emergency relief for thousands of children enrolled in Georgia’s head start program. Some of the state's largest Head Start providers have scrambled to keep their doors open in the middle of the government shutdown.

ATLANTA - Georgia’s largest Head Start providers have secured emergency bridge funding to keep classrooms open for the next 45 days as the federal government shutdown threatens critical services for low-income families.

Head Start programs in North Georgia

What we know:

The YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Sheltering Arms and Easter Seals of North Georgia announced Monday they obtained a bridge loan through the Community Foundation of Metro Atlanta. The temporary relief will allow programs serving more than 5,800 children across the state to continue operating through at least early December.

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The emergency funding buys time for state leaders to determine whether surplus dollars could help support families and the local businesses that rely on Head Start while the shutdown continues. The programs offer early education, meals and family services to some of Georgia’s most vulnerable children.

Shutdown impact on Head Starts in Atlanta

What they're saying:

Community Foundation CEO Frank Fernandez said the organization provided the loan "to help ensure that Head Start programs operate successfully, are not disrupted by the federal shutdown."

Families say the stakes are high.

"This impacted our family tremendously," Elizabeth Morris told FOX 5. The Morris family is among the thousands in Head Start programs who could lose access to services as of Nov. 1.

Federal shutdown a month later and no deal in sight

The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1 with many users of government subsidized programs about to lose all funding and pause payments. This will cause a ripple effect across Georgia. Here's the latest on the impact in the Peach State.

"My two children received speech therapy there. They’ve learned to communicate where they could not communicate before," Moore explained.

When will the shutdown end?

What we don't know:

It is not known how long the bridge loan will sustain operations before additional funding is needed and whether Georgia officials are preparing to use state surplus dollars if Congress does not act. 

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It is also unclear if any Head Start centers may still need to reduce services before the 45-day window ends or what impact a prolonged shutdown could have on staff pay, benefits or retention.