SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Head Start programs across the country are staring down the real possibility of losing funding as the government shutdown continues.

The Kirkland family has used the Head Start program for eight years and said it helps their children grow while teaching them to be better parents.

“It’s taught me how to communicate with them like there’s been language barriers because both of my kids are speech delayed. So they’ve taught me how to communicate with them and know, like, what their cues are. They’ve helped us learn, like how to teach them developmentally, because they are delayed, it’s a little different,” Robbie Kirkland said.

The family said they are nervous about the future of Head Start, and losing it would hurt many aspects of their lives.

“We have five kids,

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