Pre-K Counts And Head Start Providers Feeling Squeeze Of PA Budget Stalemate
By Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As the state budget impasse enters its third month, "Pre-K Counts" and "Head Start" supplemental grants are among the funds being held hostage in the budget stalemate.
Erinn Rinn with 'Today's Child' in Delaware County says without state funding to pay for supplies and 14 teachers' salaries and benefits:
"We did have to take out a loan this past month."
She says that $130,000 loan will only get them to October, but she says they're lucky to get a loan at all.
"There are a lot of other programs that are much smaller than ours that cannot secure that funding," says Rinn, "So they're not going to be opening their classroom doors."
Rinn says providers will eventually get the money, but children can't get do-overs on crucial Pre-K lessons.
"Things like sharing, getting along with each other, working together, paying attention."
She says she hopes rather than holding up the whole budget crucial parts, like promised pre-K funding could be pushed through.
