According to Marc Molinaro (HR-19th), Sullivan County Head Start, Inc. (SCHS) had received enough money to stay open through March 2024 and, with PROPER PAPERWORK, would have received additional funds after that.

Today is Tuesday, February 13. It’s been 11 days since SCHS was shuttered without notice to staff, students and families. In that time, I’ve seen one Federal Office of Head Start (OHS) press conference where questions were barred and no timeframe for re-opening was given to students, families and out-of-work staff.

It took U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer more than a week to “reassure” SullCo that “Head Start will be reopened in about a month.” In 2008, it took the Feds one day to buy out Lehman Bros. and about a month more to save the financial industry after it went broke scamming clients.

The Feds must extend an operational safety net to SullCo Head Start immediately. Federal law requires that specialized early-childhood and preschool education be made available to test-eligible children (aged three to five). Why? Because every single kid deserves the best possible chance to thrive and evidence abounds that early intervention reaps huge rewards.

I understand it might not be appropriate to appoint a temporary director from within SullCo Head Start, but every Sullivan County school district knows the critical importance of SCHS. I’d even bet there are several retired administrators with some free time.

So? Which local schools have the OHS reached out to for interim administrative help? While the Feds are plod-plodding along, SullCo is being mowed down by poverty, lousy health factors and outcomes, drug addiction, suicides and ODs, a growing health care desert and senior citizens without adequate home care.

Through it all, SCHS has been one of our steadiest hubs—teaching our kids and bolstering our families for 35 years. Sen. Schumer pledged to support Sullivan County when it was announced that we lead New York State for per capita overdose deaths. Time’s now, Sen. Schumer!

No matter the outcome of an investigation into SCHS's financial picture, Sullivan County needs Head Start and the Feds need to stop acting powerless. The staff, kids and families are the ones who’ve been stripped of power. Put our kids back in school and our teachers and families back to work. Pretend they’re financial speculators.

Liz Bucar lives in Sullivan County, NY.