Nearly 1 in 3 kids in Head Start are Black — and for them, the program is a lifeline for learning and growth.

by Alvin Buyinza

As the government shutdown grinds on into its sixth week, Head Start, the iconic program designed to help children from low-income households improve school readiness, is now among the many federally funded services that have officially run out of money.

Experts say that the funding lapse, effective Nov. 1, means hundreds of thousands of Black pre-K schoolchildren — a disproportionate number of whom depend on the 1960s-era program for meals, health screenings, and family support services — could soon fall behind.

That could have negative consequences for Black student achievement at the K-12 level. Research shows that children who participate in Head Start do b

See Full Page