Budget cuts at Schoharie County Head Start won't just impact children but will hit the community as well, Executive Director Judy McLaughlin fears.
Head Start will lose five percent of its funding, which affects staff and transportation now and classrooms for kids next school year.
"This is the most severe I've seen in the 20 years I've been here," Ms. McLaughlin said last week.
"It's really devastating, not only for families with kids but for the staff and the community."
The measure came because of the budget-reducing sequester, which cut many federal programs in March.
Schoharie County Head Start must cut about $150,000. Because Head Start's budget runs on the calendar year, the agency must cut the money out of the remaining nine months rather than the entire year.
Head Start has reorganized its administration and has or will lay off four to seven employees. It will also reduce transportation.
Some of those changes have already been made; the remaining staff and transportation cuts will come by April 15, Ms. McLaughlin said.
Head Start and Early Head Start serves about 250 children. Come September, it will reduce slots for kids by 18 to 20, she said.
Centers in Cobleskill, Schoharie and Sharon Springs will remain open.
"Some Head Starts are closing centers," Ms. McLaughlin said. "We can't do that. We're too important to our communities."
Still, the impact will be severe, as laying off staff means more local unemployment.
Also, with fewer slots for children, there will be more competition for slots--and fewer families will get them.
"We already have a waiting list for 36 Head Start slots," Ms. McLaughlin said. "Now we'll be that much more competitive, and more people will be left out."
Typically, children are in Head Start for two years. Those in their first year will receive a slot for the second year. It's the newcomers who will feel the competitive pinch.
"Normally we have 80 open slots in September," Ms. McLaughlin said. "Now we'll have 60."
Sequester also eliminates child-care subsidies that qualifying families needed to pay for day care. They'll have to make other arrangements for day care and will probably less likely to land a Head Start slot.
"You have a family making minimum wage and they lose that subsidy, what do they do?" Ms. McLaughlin asked.
"In the past, if you lost a day-care subsidy, you could come to us. Now you can't."
Ms. McLaughlin feared the cuts were coming but didn't have definitive word until last Tuesday.
"We didn't totally expect this," she said. "We've reviewed every job description, and we'll try not to impact classrooms and family services as much as possible.
"We will make it work, but it will be difficult."