Families in Pulaski County will face a disruption in early childhood education as federally-funded Head Start centers in Little Rock and North Little Rock are set to close Nov. 1 due to a lack of funding caused by the federal government shutdown.
“Unless UAMS receives federal funding and a new contract to administer the Head Start program, this program will have to remain closed,” Head Start Program Director Tyra Larkin told families. “We understand how disruptive this will be for your family, and we are deeply sorry for the stress this may cause.”
The closures will impact 446 children and their families, and 130 employees will be furloughed, according to UAMS spokesperson Leslie Taylor. Head Start provides free early childhood education for children from infancy through age 5 from low-income families. UAMS is one of 16 grantees providing Head Start services across Arkansas…