CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - With no end in sight to the government shutdown, some Head Start programs across the country are facing a future without federal funding in the weeks ahead.

In southeast Missouri, one Head Start provider said they are operating normally--for now.

Joel Evans, president and CEO of the Sikeston Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation (DAEOC) , said their grant cycle gives them a buffer, but that window closes January 1, 2026.

Evans told Heartland News that as long as the government starts by then, they don’t anticipate an impact.

But should it continue beyond that point, more than 1,000 kids in southeast Missouri, along with the local economy, would be impacted.

“We would be forced with furloughs and closure of centers, which would impact our families a

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