As the government shutdown enters its fourth week, thousands of low-income families in Georgia who depend on Head Start are at risk of losing access to child care and education.

The early education initiative is funded almost entirely by the federal government, making it particularly vulnerable to funding disruptions. The programs — which are run by schools, local governments, and nonprofits — receive new grants annually and are not allowed to carry over unspent money.

With new grants on hold, the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta and other funding partners have stepped in with an emergency loan to keep Georgia's largest Head Start providers afloat for more than a month.

The YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Easterseals of North Georgia, and Sheltering Arms serve more than 6,500 children and their families, giving them vital services like early education and meals.

The $8 million loan made possible through the donations of more than a dozen individuals and institutions will keep the Head Start programs open for 45 days.

"If we didn't receive this bridge loan, on Nov. 1, at the end of the day, we would have shut down all of our centers and furloughed staff," said Lauren Koontz, the president of YMCA of Metro Atlanta.

Relief for some Georgia parents

Elizabeth Morris relies on Easterseals of North Georgia for child care. She said the news of the bridge loan lifted a burden that had her worried.

"We have to worry about what do we do with our children," Morris said. "Do we keep the older ones at home to watch the younger ones?"

Morris's husband is in the military and has been furloughed since the government shut down.

"You look around your home and ask, 'What can I sell to make a little cash?' You pinch your pennies. I was on the web the other day looking at videos of what food you can make from the Dollar Tree just to make do," she said.

Head Start remains on shaky ground

Launched six decades ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, Head Start has a history of bipartisan support but has faced calls this year for its funding to be cut back.

A budget document showed the White House weighed shutting down Head Start altogether, a prospect that led to an outcry from both sides of the aisle before Trump's administration backed away from the proposal. Project 2025, a detailed set of policy recommendations authored by the conservative Heritage Foundation, recommended eliminating Head Start.

"Philanthropic support cannot and should not replace the funding for a 60-year-old federal program, especially one with such a wide-reaching impact," said Frank Fernandez, the president and CEO of Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. "We are deeply grateful to our funding partners who stepped up to help support this bridge loan, but it is important to recognize that this is only a temporary solution. Our elected officials must take action to end this shutdown and ensure the long-term sustainability of this critical program."

While the bridge loan is a reprieve to three of the largest Head Start providers in Georgia, the groups say programs in the southern part of the state remain at risk of temporarily closing. 

"While we're grateful that Metro Atlanta's largest Head Start providers have secured a temporary lifeline, we cannot forget the children and families in South Georgia and beyond who remain at risk," said Mindy Binderman, the executive director of Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students.

With no funding, the groups say that working families will have to decide what to sacrifice to get childcare. Unpaid Head Start staff will also need to find other jobs, which may mean that they won't return when funding is resumed.

On Tuesday, the Senate failed to advance a Republican-led funding bill for the 14th time as the stalemate over health insurance subsidies continues. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.