San Antonio families face childcare crisis as Gov’t shutdown threatens Head Start funding

SAN ANTONIO, Tx — Thousands of families in San Antonio could lose access to Head Start if the government doesn’t reopen.

If that happens many families will lose childcare that allows them to work.

Ruby Flores has two children who attend Head Start at Avance San Antonio. She fears what the future may hold if the government shutdown extends into November.

According to the National Head Start Association nearly 10 percent of all Head Start Children will be at risk of losing access to their classroom Nov. 1.

“I would struggle,” Flores said. “My daughter was battling stage 4 cancer when she was going to Avance at 21-months-old.”

Her daughter is now in remission, but she will have many appointments for the next 12 months. Flores relies on the Head Start program to provide childcare for her two other children while her daughter receives cancer treatment and doesn’t know if she will afford childcare if the program loses funding.

Yesenia Alvarez-Gonzalez, the executive director of Avance San Antonio says the school is able to keep its doors open for now because they received a notification of award before the shutdown. She worries about families whose Head Start programs didn’t make the cut.

“They may have to make the decision of can I continue working,” Alvarez-Gonzalez said. “How am I going to put food on the table?”

Head Start programs that did not receive their notification of award before Oct 1 are the programs at risk of not being funded.