‘They Cannot Afford Daycare’: Urban League Discusses Plans to Host Head Start Children

The Tallahassee Urban League (Tallahassee, FL) held a press conference Friday (October 24th) to discuss how they’re helping the children left without a daycare as Tallahassee Head Start programs end Friday due to the government shutdown.

The Tallahassee Urban League wrote in a press release that Tallahassee has five centers that serve 378 students.

Tallahassee Urban League President and CEO Curtis Taylor said it was the organization’s duty to step in and help.

“We cannot stand on the sideline and not have a place for our young kids to go come Monday morning,” Taylor said in an interview.

“We don’t know what is gonna happen at home with them, we’re talking about 3, 4 and 5 year-olds that they don’t know what a government shutdown is,” he said.

The press conference comes after the Urban League announced Thursday that two Tallahassee churches plan to step in to help families who cannot afford daycare programs.

The Urban League announced during the press conference that Bethel Baptist Church is expected to take in 100 children. Oxford Learning Academy said they are taking in 40 children. Anderson Chapel won’t be taking children, but is providing food.

“If we do not take action, [they] will not have anywhere to go. Most of these families, these parents, they can not afford daycare,” Taylor said.

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