Federal budget cutbacks hampering local Head Start programs

Painful budget cuts due to sequestration hit Nebraska's Head Start programs hard this year.

According to officials with the organization, 372 children and families in the state will be cut off from Head Start's services because of these rollbacks. More than 100 early childhood program staff will lose their jobs or have their hours reduced as well. Budget sequestration went into effect March 1 of this year, causing massive budget cuts to many federally funded organizations.

Sidney's Head Start is feeling these budget cuts in a big way, according to Patsy Yager, a teacher there.

"We used to be a full day center and now we're only half day," Yager said.

Up until this year the center served families and children from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. giving parents who work during the day the opportunity to provide for their families without finding additional child care. Now the center only provides services from 8 a.m. to noon.

"It's just really sad for families who have to come up with extra money for extra day care," Yager said.

The center also has fewer funds for art supplies and operational supplies such as computer ink. Teachers now have to monitor paper towel use, to save money.

"We have to be really careful with everything to stretch our dollars," Yager said.

Head Start programs across the nation received budget cuts of 5.2 percent in individual grants. Nebraska's Head Start program lost around $2.2 million in funding. This caused those in charge of budgeting for the organization to face some difficult choices.

"These decisions will have a distressing impact on our Head Start and Early Head Start children, families and staff across Nebraska,” stated Deb Ross, president of the Nebraska Head Start Association in a press statement. “However, these decisions must be made in order to absorb the approximately $2,223,230 in funding reductions.”

Those at Head Start know that children living in poverty need organizations like theirs to provide stability and to prepare them for kindergarten.

Head Start provides more than just child care. Families involved are given resources to help them improve parenting skills as well as assistance finding employment, so they can work toward being more self sufficient. Those at Head Start know that providing assistance to these children and families early in life sets these kids on the right track for future success.

“We see the positive results that these programs have made in the lives of children and their families," Ross said. "Knowing this, all decisions due to funding cuts are arrived at painfully for each agency."

Those at this organization wish that congressmen and women will find a way to restore the program's funding or at least shy away from making further cuts.

“We are hopeful that national decision makers will realize the importance of investing in early childhood education and future negative impacts on children and families living in poverty will be minimal, or ideally, non-existent,” said Suzan Obermiller, Vice-President of the Nebraska Head Start Association.

Sidney's Head Start serves 20 children. Two of the Sidney office's three employees saw hourly cuts this year.

"Head Start is a really wonderful program," Yager said. "To have cuts is just heartbreaking."