As you have probably heard, the United States government is currently being funded on a short-term continuing resolution, which expires this Friday, April 28th at 11:59 PM ET. If a new appropriations bill or another short-term continuing resolution is not agreed upon before then, the government would be facing another shutdown.
That said, I have good news to report. We do not expect that there will be a shutdown, with less than a 15% chance according to our inside sources. It appears that both sides believe they are close to a deal and, if a deal is not reachable by Friday, they will look to pass a weeklong extension to give them a bit more time to finalize it.
Further good news—even if there was to be a shutdown, Head Start should not be significantly impacted. This is because the Office of Head Start will be funding the grantees with May 1 start dates this week—meaning they would not run into troubles should the government be shut down. So, no cause for anxiety, and thank you to OHS for making sure the children, families and programs are sure to suffer no interruption, should a shutdown actually occur.
Lastly, it gives us pride to report that Head Start is in a strong position as decisions are being finalized for this fiscal year. That is not to say we are in the clear, but our work has not gone unnoticed. Whether it be the multiple comprehensive studies reaffirming the Head Start Advantage or relationships you have built or even the new Program Performance Standards, folks in Washington are recognizing, in an increasingly positive way, the work we do for our children, families, and communities across the country.
Thank you for everything you do on a daily basis and please keep checking your email for further updates as decisions are made. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me or Tommy Sheridan. Keep up the good work!
Best,
Yasmina Vinci
Executive Director
