By Emily Zuccaro, with Kathryn Whitmore
The current debate on defunding Planned Parenthood may lead to a government shutdown. The majority of school districts
and education programs are not likely to be affected by this, with the exception
of two programs, the Head Start program and the Impact Aid. The Head Start
program is designed as an early-childhood program for low-income children, and
the Impact Aid is a program that is present in areas with a large federal
presence, like a military base.In 2013, the last government shutdown led to six states closing their centers immediately, displacing 7,000 children. Emergency funding helped keep other centers open while the shutdown lasted. Another issue is that the Department of Education is difficult to reach in a shutdown, with employees not showing up for work. This may lead to problems with agencies reaching out for assistance and delivering documents for grant-related items. Head Start leaders are monitoring the action and hoping that leaders consider the fiscal repercussions of a shutdown.