By Bryan Mims

WSB Channel 2

ATLANTA — The government shutdown is threatening Head Start programs in Georgia, putting 6,500 children in the programs at risk of losing federal funding.

A year’s worth of funding was supposed to start Nov. 1.

A philanthropic group has stepped in to provide temporary funding, allowing Head Start programs to continue operating for the next month.

Channel 2’s Bryan Mims continues the Live Team 2 coverage from a Head Start academy in Northwest Atlanta.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath visited a YMCA Head Start in Atlanta, expressing concern over the impact of the shutdown on families.

“I’m concerned that a parent might not be able to take a shift at work, because if this place closes down, then where are the children going to go?” she said.

McBath said Republicans and Democrats need to end this stalemate.

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta is lending $8 million to support Head Start programs in Georgia for 45 days.

For their parents, Head Start is indispensable.

At the Chattahoochee YMCA Head Start Academy, nearly 270 children are enrolled, ranging from 6 months to 4 years old.

Shequila Duffey, a teacher and parent at the academy, emphasized the importance of Head Start for working families.

“A lot of us as a parent — as a parent and a teacher — rely on Head Start to make sure our children, they’re comfortable, make sure they’re safe, make sure they have a place to go to so that we can work and take care of our families,” she said.

Executive director Derrick Tye highlighted the challenges faced by children from low-income families. He said 23 children who attend the Chattahoochee center are homeless.

“When I tell you I look at these children as my children, and when I know for a fact that children are disadvantaged, it really tugs on your heart strings,” he said.

And then there are the teachers. If the shutdown continues, about 800 teachers across the state could be furloughed.