TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – Thousands of Florida families face empty classrooms and reduced food assistance next week if the federal government shutdown continues.
Head Start programs across north Florida will shut down until Congress restores funding, leaving low-income families without critical early childhood education services. Nearly 3 million Florida families also face delays in receiving SNAP food assistance benefits scheduled for November 1.
“November is going to be a tough month,” said Cindy Huddleston, Florida Policy Institute senior policy analyst.
The federal government shut down on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding plan, straining programs people rely on.
Darryl James, Head Start director at Capital Area Community Action Agency in Tallahassee, oversees Head Start programs across north Florida. His programs will close next week due to a lack of funding.
“With no Head Start, we have a whole low-income community not being prepared for school, so this is a very important program,” James said.
Head Start promotes school readiness in low-income families through a two-generational approach that serves both children and parents.
“We can’t work with families because Head Start is definitely a two-generational approach. We don’t just work with the children, we also work with the families,” James said.
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SNAP benefits will not be distributed on November 1 as scheduled. The Florida Department of Children and Families says the nearly 3 million families will receive their November benefits when the government reopens.
With no end in sight to the second-longest shutdown in history, Huddleston expressed concern about the impact on food security.
“This is a very serious problem that’s going to affect Florida immediately,” she said. “And this is also going to put a terrible strain on food banks and food pantries that have already been struggling to meet the need. When November 1st hits, I don’t know if they’re going to be able to at all fill in that gap.”
James called on Congress to act quickly.
“Please do what you have to do to get the government back open, because you’re really affecting a lot of people, especially people in the low-income community,” he said.
The Trump administration has allocated $300 million to keep the WIC program running for now.
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