TALLAHASSEE, FL — The Tallahassee Urban League is leading an emergency effort to help hundreds of Head Start families find care after the federal shutdown forced classrooms across Leon County to close.
Federal shutdown forces closure of all five Head Start centers in Tallahassee.Local churches and community leaders are mobilizing to provide temporary care solutions for affected families.Watch the video below to find out how many local children are affected.
Local community steps up as Tallahassee Head Start programs shut down due to federal government closure
UPDATED BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Tallahassee Urban League brought together faith and community leaders Friday to tackle a growing crisis caused by the federal government shutdown.
I’m neighborhood reporter Lentheus Chaney in northwest Tallahassee, where that shutdown means hundreds of local Head Start families are now scrambling for care.
Beginning Friday, all five Head Start centers in Tallahassee will close, impacting 378 children across Leon County.
The program provides breakfast and lunch each day, along with early education and care for working families.
In response, faith-based and community organizations are stepping up.
“This is your opportunity to step up to the plate,” said Urban League President Curtis Taylor.
After the press event, leaders held a planning session to work through logistics and ensure all sites meet state regulations for safety and supervision.
That process can take time, but today’s goal was to make sure the system is in place by Monday morning.
I spoke with Rita Brown from Brownsville Preparatory, who has years of experience setting up early learning programs and helped guide the planning session.
She says she understands how critical child care is right now, knows what it takes to fill the gap during this crisis, and plans to lend her support with both expertise and financial help.
“There are rules and procedures as the people at Head Start know about the amount of children that can be with one individual what that individual would have to possess in terms of background screening what the facility wherever these children are being kept would have to have in place in order for children to be able to be there. Our hearts have a big just bring the kids and we’ll get people and we’ll watch them, but there are steps and procedures that have to happen,” Brown said.
Three locations are already registered with the state and ready to go.
Bethel Baptist Church will accommodate 100 children.
Oxford Learning Center will take in 40.
And Trinity United Methodist is finalizing space to host additional students.
All are working together to serve Leon County Head Start families until federal funding resumes.
Capital Area Community Action Agency Director Darrel James says he will work hard to ensure these locations can accommodate families in his program.
“In order for me to feel comfortable, referring my family to a site. I have to feel comfortable knowing that that site is licensed and govern by the Department of Children and Families but right now we’re working with the community trying to get our family some care, temporary care, until we can get the doors of Head Start open back up again,” James said.
The Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association and Anderson Chapel AME have committed to providing food — covering breakfast and lunch for children at each site.
Organizers say it’s a temporary fix but a vital one as the shutdown continues.
The Urban League and its partners say they’ll continue meeting through the weekend to finalize plans and collect donations for food and supplies.
UPDATE (10/24/2025)
11:00 a.m.:
The Tallahassee Urban League, Head Start staff, Bethel Baptist, Anderson Chapel, and others are holding a press conference. They’ll be speaking about the impacts of the government shutdown as several Head Start programs in our region will have to close starting today, due to a lack of funds as the shutdown continues.
WATCH COVERAGE BELOW:
Original:
Five Head Start Centers in the Big Bend will be closing on Friday, October 24th, due to the government shutdown. In a press release from the Tallahassee Urban League, 378 children will be impacted by the closures. The programs serve children across Leon, Jefferson, and Madison counties.
The release states that most parents who use Head Start can’t afford to place their children in a daycare program. Due to this, Bethel Baptist and Anderson Chapel are stepping up to help parents during these closures. However, one more location is needed, along with donations to help buy food for breakfast and lunch for at least two weeks.
On Friday, October 24th, the Tallahassee Urban League, Head Start staff, Bethel Baptist, Anderson Chapel, and others will be holding a press conference. It will be at 11:00 a.m. at the Tallahassee Urban League.
Earlier this week, ABC 27 Neighborhood Reporter Lentheus Chaney spoke to parents about the potential closures and what it would mean.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
Head Start services at risk as government shutdown looms in Big Bend region
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