Congressman Bresnahan Visits Head Start Classroom During Awareness Month
October is recognized as Head Start Awareness Month, a time to highlight the importance of this federally funded program that supports children and families living in poverty. This year, Congressman Rob Bresnahan and his wife, Chelsea, visited a local classroom to read to young students, showing their support for the initiative.
Head Start serves low-income families across Luzerne and Wyoming counties, providing over 200 children with early education and social development opportunities. The program allows parents to focus on their jobs while their children learn essential skills in a safe and nurturing environment.
Despite its critical role, federal funding for Head Start remains a major concern. Grants are set to expire by the end of the year, which could place additional strain on the program as the government shutdown continues. The organization is particularly worried about the lack of a budget increase, which has been a recurring issue.
“We have been flat funded federally this prior year, which means that we have not received an increase,” said Beth White, executive director of Luzerne County Head Start. “Our bills still keep going up—our food bills, our health insurance, our rents, all of that does go up. So, if we are going into another year of funding, we are going to have to make some different decisions because our budget dollars only go so far.”
After visiting the classroom, Representative Bresnahan expressed his continued support for the program. “We’re going to continue to be extremely supportive of the Head Start program. So that is exactly why we need to reopen the government to make sure that programs like this continue to be as impactful as they clearly are.”
He also emphasized the importance of extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are central to the ongoing debate around the shutdown. “The reality is, we need to get back to work, and we need to get back together and figure out a path forward with the expiration at the end of the month. It’s a problem. We’re looking at premium increases, you know, somewhere between 78 and 82 percent across northeastern Pennsylvania. So, I think you need to have real dialogues and real conversations about health care.”
White believes that when lawmakers see the program firsthand and interact with the children, it helps highlight its significance. However, with no immediate resolution to the government shutdown or state budget impasse, teachers and staff can only hope that Head Start will not face disruptions.
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