Sorry, kids
Here's what passes for good news in the era of sequestration: "Only"
57,000 children are being kicked out of Head Start, instead of the 70,000 that had been projected. Along with those 57,000 children losing their preschool, 18,000 Head Start workers are being laid off or having their pay cut. And of course, the parents of kids who no longer go to Head Start will have to find new child care or face possible job loss themselves.
So why isn't the number of Head Start spots eliminated 70,000? Was the Obama administration just trying to put out scary-big numbers to avert sequester, as Republicans have charged in so many other cases? The difference was made up in other cuts that didn't eliminate Head Start spots, but are still causing some serious pain:
Some Head Start centers focused on cutting administrative and support services, such as transportation. Others chose to shorten the school year or the school day. The latest figures show that 18,000 program hours will be cut next year by centers that will start later in the day or end earlier.
If a Head Start program cuts transportation, that means there are families that won't be able to get their kids to school each day. A shorter school year or shorter days means, again, that parents have added challenges in balancing their jobs and caring for their kids. Dental and health screenings were cut, too. And, again, these cuts mean hours and pay cuts for Head Start workers.
But hey, this ripple effect of Head Start staff and parents losing jobs and hours and kids losing out on early childhood education is nothing compared to the relief we all feel at preserving corporate tax loopholes, amiright? Or is that feeling only common among congressional Republicans?