COLUMBUS, Ohio -The fifth week of the federal government shutdown has forced two Ohio Head Start providers to close their doors, affecting 600 children and 150 staff members, with five more programs at risk of closure.

The shutdowns affect a wide range of services.

“This shutdown is pulling the rug out from under working families,” Julie Stone, executive director of Ohio Head Start Association, said Monday.

“Parents are losing child care, teachers are losing paychecks, and children are losing the stable, nurturing environments that help them thrive,” Stone said. “These are real people with real consequences — and Ohio’s youngest citizens deserve better.”

Programs in Highland and Scioto counties closed, having exhausted their federal funding. The remaining five providers are operating o

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