While much attention has been focused on the congressional battle over Head Start, state and local budget crises will also affect how many kids have access to Head Start on the ground.
Take Texas, where the budget situation is receiving national attention. The state is seeking to plug a $27 billion deficit without raising taxes. School funding is facing a $3.5 billion cut, or 13.5 percent of current levels. Districts are trying to get ahead of the state cuts by paring staff and services. In San Antonio, proposed district budget cuts of $50 million could force four Head Start centers to close. Parents and teachers protested the cuts at a recent Board of Education meeting.