So far, the federal government’s shutdown hasn’t had much effect on Kansas’ Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

“None of the programs in Kansas have fiscal years that start on Oct. 1,” said Erick Vaughn, executive director at the Kansas Head Start Association in Lawrence. “So as long as the shutdown doesn’t go on for another month, they should be able to continue drawing down their funds.”

The programs, he said, were spared because their funding had been appropriated prior to the Oct. 1 shutdown and can be “drawn down” despite the political logjam. Oct. 1 is the beginning of the federal fiscal year.

But programs in other states weren’t as fortunate, Vaughn said.

“Nationally, 23 programs in 11 states have Oct. 1 start dates,” he said. “They’ve had to shut down.”

Vaughan said he didn’t know what would happen to the Kansas programs, if the shutdown continues into November. “It’s just unfortunate that Congress can’t seem to set aside its differences so that children and families with the most needs can receive the services they need,” he said. “At some point we’ll be affected.”

Vaughn said Head Start support workers at the regional office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Kanas City have been furloughed.

Also, “there are only two essential staff people in the Washington, D.C., office for Head Start people to call with questions about their grants,” he said.

In Kansas, Head Start programs are funded with federal grants. Early Head Start programs receive both federal and state funding.

The 29 Head Start and Early Head Start programs expect to divide more than $57.6 million this year.

Vaughn said almost all of the children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs live in households at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $1,600 a month for a family of three.

Last summer, the federal budget sequester caused the Kansas programs to cut their overall enrollment by 440 students.

“Our enrollment was 9,072 students last year,” Vaughan said. “This year we’re down to 8,632.”

Program officials, he said, figure they’re reaching about half the Kansas children who are eligible for either Early Head Start, ages 0 to 3, or Head Start, ages 3 to 5.

“It’s hard to come up with an exact figure because some programs cap their enrollments,” Vaughan said. “They don’t keep waiting lists because they know they’re always going to be full. It’s like, ‘What’s the point?’”

Vaughn said the shutdown has generated several positive stories about Head Start in the national media.

“But what’s not being mentioned is how – if anything does get passed – it’s going to be post-sequester level,” he said. “In other words, what we lost this year won’t be restored. That’s what our people in Washington are telling us, so our motto is ‘Don’t cut. Restore.’”

Officials at the University of Kansas School of Medicine said the federal shutdown has delayed the processes for approving National Institutes of Health grants.

“As we are growing our enterprise, this is extremely costly in time,” said Dr. Michele Mariscalco, associate dean for research at the school’s Wichita campus. “Problems with grants cannot be resolved” until federal employees are back to work.–KHI News