Quick Take
A longstanding Santa Cruz child care program serving over 250 low-income families is at risk of closure after federal funding cuts slashed the Head Start grant by $4 million and eliminated access to unused funds. Nonprofit provider Encompass Community Services warns the closure would mean closing 15 classrooms, laying off 95 staff members and leaving many families without essential early education and support services.
Following federal funding cuts, Santa Cruz nonprofit Encompass Community Services announced Wednesday that it might have to close a child care program that offers free care to more than 250 children and their families.
Encompass was first awarded funding for the Head Start program in 1983, and has since provided bilingual early learning to hundreds of infants and children up to age 5 annually, as well as developmental screening, meals and family support services. If the program is shuttered, Encompass will have to close 15 classrooms and lay off 95 staff members.
“I am not alone in saying this is heartbreaking news for our community. Head Start is more than a program — it is a lifeline for families navigating poverty, housing instability and limited access to affordable child care,” Encompass CEO Shellee Stopera said in a statement. “We need urgent action from our community members to protect these vital services.”
Encompass says two recent funding cuts have put the program at risk of closing. Last week, the organization learned that the Trump administration ended the practice of allowing the use of carryover funds – unspent funds from the prior year – and therefore stopped the release of $400,000 to Encompass. Additionally, the organization says it recently learned that its federal grant was reduced from $10 million to $6 million next fiscal year and that requests to reinstate the funding have “gone unanswered,” according to a news release.
Encompass didn’t immediately respond to questions Wednesday, including when it notified employees and families of a potential closure, when it learned about the $4 million grant reduction, what the total budget is for Head Start and when the expected date of closure could be.
County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah said a closure of Head Start would be “very detrimental” for Santa Cruz families.
“All of the programs are basically full, it’s not like we have open seats for families,” he said. “It’s in our best interest to try to figure out an alternative to shutting down, as opposed to trying to figure out a different program to be able to serve all the students.”
Encompass is asking people to reach out to their federal representatives to urge the reinstatement of the Head Start program.
The nonprofit was founded in 1973 and offers 25 programs countywide providing services in behavioral health, housing, early childhood education and substance-use recovery. Encompass is the largest community-based nonprofit in Santa Cruz County.
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