HEAD START USES EMPTY CHAIRS TO ILLUSTRATE CUT-BACKS

The National Head Start Asso­ci­a­tion is encour­ag­ing Head Start pro­grams across the entire coun­try to dis­play empty chairs to rep­re­sent the num­ber of slots cut due to the fed­eral bud­get sequester.

The Bryan Times reports that Pulaski Head Start, serv­ing Defi­ance, Ful­ton, Henry, Pauld­ing and Williams coun­ties, had 34 empty chairs set up on Wednes­day, rep­re­sent­ing the num­ber of chil­dren who will not be get­ting preschool ser­vices in our area this year.

The local Head Start’s bud­get was cut by over 5 per­cent, or $160,845. Because of the cuts, 34 chil­dren will not receive ser­vices across the five coun­ties and four staff mem­bers lost their jobs. Sev­en­teen of those stu­dents cut were in Williams County.