FOLLOWING SUDDEN CLOSURE OF SULLIVAN COUNTY HEAD START CENTER THAT’S LEFT FAMILIES SCRAMBLING FOR CHILDCARE, SCHUMER CALLS ON FEDS TO TAKE ALL AVAILBLE MEASURES TO EXPEDITE ALL REQUESTS AND DEVELOP LONG-TERM PLAN FOR NEW STABLE CHILDCARE IN SULLIVAN COUNTY
Earlier This Month, Sullivan County Head Start Suddenly Closed, Sparking Confusion And Leaving Local Parents Without Child Care & Dozens Of Employees Without Jobs
Schumer, In A Letter To The Head Of HHS, Says We Need All-Hands-On-Deck Solution From Feds So A Head Start Program Can Resume Operations And Once Again Get Families The Care They Need
Schumer: Sullivan County Families Lost Childcare Through No Fault Of Their Own, Feds Must Do Everything They Can To Expedite And Get Parents The Help They Need
Following the sudden closure of the Sullivan County Head Start Center that’s left families scrambling for childcare earlier this month, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today in a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra called on the feds to get all-hands-on deck to help Sullivan County cut through red tape and work expeditiously with local officials to identify new care and develop a long-term solution for Sullivan County families to receive childcare and essential services as soon as possible.
Schumer said the abrupt closure of the local Head Start program left hundreds of parents without childcare options; Since then Schumer’s office has been working consistently with local officials and federal agencies to address this problem, and now he wants to make sure this issue is on the radar of top officials and all measures are being taken to expeditiously secure a consistent stable interim service provider and that a long term solution be found to ensure this problem does not happen again.
“Sullivan County families had to face an impossible situation, walking up to drop their kid off only to find out they were now without childcare. My office has been working hand-in-hand with local officials to address this gap in services, and I want to make sure the feds are taking all available measures to swiftly to help impacted families get access to the temporary care they need – and importantly that a long-term solution can be found to fully resume Head Start programs in Sullivan County,” said Senator Schumer. “Working parents who are enrolled in Head start should not be confronted with a choice between working their job that puts food on the table or having to watch their toddler after school. HHS must do everything in our its power to work with local officials to quickly reopen the Head Start programs in Sullivan County and return these services to parents in need.”
“Sullivan County Head Start’s sudden closure became an ‘all hands on deck’ emergency situation for this County’s government, and I am grateful to Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Molinaro, our State representatives and especially our County employees who set to work immediately to help the children, employees and families of Head Start,” said Sullivan County Legislature Chair Nadia Rajsz. “We now have three County officials on Head Start’s board and with Senator Schumer’s guidance and assistance, we aim to return this crucial service to Sullivan County residents as quickly as possible.”
Sullivan County Head Start is a non-for-profit organization that was founded in 1989 that runs head start and early head start programs in county. The federal government funds Head Start programs through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. Head Start operated three centers in Sullivan County, two in Monticello and one in Woodbourne and their abrupt closure has significantly reduced the number of available licensed childcare slots available in Sullivan, which already suffers from a shortage of approved childcare providers.
Schumer said that’s why he’s calling on the feds to take all possible measures to find a long-term solution for the facility as soon as possible so it can once again provide essential services to all Hudson Valley families. In addition, he is working with local officials to ensure that in the interim other providers can be identified to accommodate effected children and diminish the impact on families by helping them get the temporary care they need. The senator said, however, that a long term stable solution needs to be a top priority to give families the peace of mind that they will have continued access to childcare going forward.
A copy of Schumer’s letter to the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can be found below:
Dear Secretary Becerra:
I write with an urgent request to ensure that families in Sullivan County, New York are receiving services following the abrupt and disruptive closure of Sullivan County Head Start. Sullivan County Head Start unexpectedly closed on February 2, 2024, leaving hundreds of children and families without critical services that they depend on. I understand that the Office of Head Start is taking steps to mitigate the harm caused by this crisis, and that this closure was not a decision that was made by the Office of Head Start. Nonetheless, the impacted families are struggling, and they are desperately in need of the services provided by the Sullivan County Head Start. According to the latest available data, Sullivan County’s poverty rate is higher than the national and state average. The County is also a recognized childcare desert where affordable and accessible childcare is inaccessible for many who call the area home. I urge you to take all available measures at your disposal to expediate the reopening of Head Start Program’s in Sullivan County and ensure the full range of childcare services previously offered can be back up and running as soon as possible. It is critical that all steps be taken to expeditiously secure a consistent stable interim service provider for all impacted families and that a long term solution be found to ensure this problem does not happen again.
The Sullivan County Head Start served more than 350 children and families and employs 85 full-time and 11 part-time workers. The impact of its closure is a profound burden for my constituents – children without essential services and the daily routines that they need, parents unable to go into work to make a living, and workers left without a job and unable to serve the community that they so deeply care about. The harm is more substantial for children with special needs or in foster care who have to jump through additional hurdles to find the care that they need. Head Start prides itself on providing comprehensive child development services for the community it serves, supporting everyone from children from prenatal to age three, pregnant women and partners, and their families. The services that the Head Start program provide reach far and wide: education, free dental and medical screenings, nutrition, mental health, and family engagement programs. The Head Start programs in Sullivan County are an indispensable foundation of that community’s health and well-being, and HHS must do everything in its power to reopen the Sullivan County Head Start as soon as possible.
I understand that Director Garvin of the Office of Head Start has committed to resuming Head Start services as soon as possible. I also understand that, with Sullivan County Head Start’s relinquishing of its Head Start grant, the Office of Head Start now stands ready to transition Sullivan County Head Start program to an interim service provider. This transition needs to happen as soon as possible, and I urge you to do everything in your power to expedite this process. In the meantime, we must continue to provide all of our 350 children and families with the care and services they require. I urge you to work to ensure that the interim service provider can refer as many children and families to alternative programs during this transitionary period, so that our children can get the services that they need and their parents can go back to work.
Again, I urge you to be sure that HHS and the Office of Head Start does everything in its powers to ensure that Sullivan County Head Start programs resumes operation as soon as possible, and facilitates the transition to an interim service provider. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
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