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Head Start sites in Warren County faced temporary closure after federal payment delay; funding restored
Summary
County staff described a brief interruption in Head Start funding that threatened closure of five local facilities serving about 183 children; federal payment was released after officials intervened, and SUNY Adirondack pledged local support for one site.
County staff told the Warren County Human Services Committee on April 21 that five Head Start facilities serving roughly 183 children and employing about 78 people in Warren and neighboring Washington County briefly faced closure after a federal payment was delayed.
"The Head Start program has 5 facilities in Warren and Washington County, has about 183 children and 78 employees," said John Tacklin, a county staff member summarizing a letter from Dr. Duffy. Staff said Head Start notified the county that a federal payment would be delayed until June and that, as of the previous Friday, the program planned to close the five facilities and lay off employees.
County staff described steps taken to avoid a local service gap. Nina and other Department of Social Services staff made Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child-assistance funding available to help, but staff said those funds alone would not cover the shortfall. SUNY Adirondack pledged funds to keep the SUNY site open; county staff reported the SUNY commitment as "a hundred and $50" during the meeting.
County staff credited federal representatives, including Representative Stefanik and the county—s U.S. senators, with securing the release of federal Head Start payments. "We found out on Saturday that federal funding, thanks to our representatives ... working in DC to get health and human services to release the funding, and they did," Tacklin said. After that action, staff reported operations continued.
Committee members did not take a formal vote on county-funded emergency support; staff described actions already taken and outside funding that stabilized operations. Dr. Duffy had sent a letter to the committee, and staff provided the summarized timeline and next steps.
