Nearly 8,000 Maryland kids spend their earliest years in a Head Start classroom, the national early learning program whose funding has been jeopardized by the federal government shutdown.

“The longer the shutdown goes, the more programs will be impacted,” said Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association. “It is not acceptable for children and families to be collateral damage to political fights. And that’s exactly what’s happening.”

Maryland programs are safe for now. But here’s what you need to know about how threats to Head Start could trickle down to the state.

How is Head Start funded?

Head Start doles out federal money to community-based organizations, like school systems and religious charities, for 1,600 programs. Howard County just got a new grant to expand into Early Head Start, which serves kids aged 0-2; Head Start is for kids aged 3-5.

Congress and the president decide annually how much money Head Start is getting. No funds have been allocated for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1 — the first day of the shutdown.

What’s the deal with Nov. 1?

Head Start grants start at different times of the year, depending on the program. That’s when they can start withdrawing federal dollars.

Nationally, 140 Head Start programs probably won’t be able to access funding on Nov. 1. More than 65,000 children rely on those classrooms, Sheridan said.

It’s unclear how many of those programs will shut their doors. Grantees are scrambling to find ways to stay afloat until the government reopens.

Are any Maryland programs affected?

Not yet.

The soonest Maryland would feel an impact is Dec. 1, the day after funding expires for the Maryland Rural Development Corporation. The longstanding Head Start provider serves families in Caroline, Cecil and Harford counties, according to the Maryland State Department of Education. The loss would affect 221 children and 75 staff members, said Vanessa Jones, director of the Office of Family Support Services and Head Start Collaboration within the state’s education department.

Should the shutdown extend to Jan. 1, another three programs that serve over 500 kids would be missing funds, Jones said.

If that happens, programs could ask to tap into state money normally reserved for summer programs that operate when Head Start classrooms are closed.

“For the funding to be on hold at this time because of the federal shutdown, it is going to be devastating to a number of communities,” Jones said. “But our state is willing to step up and to provide some flexibility.”

Maryland could still feel the squeeze come Saturday, when federal funds are set to run out for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which feeds more than 680,000 Marylanders.

“The vast majority of children who are in Head Start are eligible for SNAP,” Sheridan said. “Without access to that, that means there’s going to be more of a pressure for Head Start to provide those types of meals and those types of supports.”

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.