LACEY, Wash. - The ongoing government shutdown is affecting Head Start programs across the nation, with 20 programs having fully or partially closed, including one in Washington state. The current budget proposal does not guarantee funding for these programs beyond January.

Fiona Kranz, a Head Start teacher in Lacey, emphasized the critical role her program plays for families.

"We have lots of kids who also are homeless and/or living with family. This is, a lot of the time, the only hot meal they have in a day, or the only warm place that they can be to get out of the rain," said Kranz.

The federally funded preschool program supports more than 20,000 children from low-income families up to age four in Washington. It offers more than just childcare and education.

Head Start provides med

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