When our systems don’t work as they should, families pay the price.

This powerful story by Heidi Perez-Moreno of The Border Belt highlights what several of our Robeson County families endured when Head Start centers were forced to close during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. She spent time with parents and caregivers navigating missed work, lost wages, disrupted routines, and the stress of finding last-minute childcare.

And the impact was felt far beyond our region.
According to the National Head Start Association, about 134 Head Start programs across the country closed when their annual funding did not arrive on November 1—leaving nearly 60,000 low-income children without free child care. Dozens of those centers were in North Carolina.

Here at Southeastern Community Action Partnership, 116 children were enrolled across the three Robeson County sites that closed.
Only 30 of those children—ages 3 to 5—were able to transfer to other Head Start centers. Many families simply couldn’t transport their children to sites farther away.

We are grateful that our Head Start locations have now reopened—but this moment underscores just how vulnerable families are when essential services are disrupted. It also highlights the role community organizations like SCAP play in ensuring families have stability, support, and a trusted place to turn.

As we approach Giving Tuesday, we invite our community to pause and reflect on the importance of giving. The families featured in this article represent so many across our seven counties who rely on SCAP’s programs every single day.

Your support helps us close the gap when crises arise. It ensures that we can continue to stand with families who need it most.

Read the article: Head Start Closures Leave Robeson County Families Scrambling for Child Care
Learn how you can support SCAP this Giving Tuesday: scapnc.org/donations