Last week’s sudden closure of the Sullivan County Head Start facility “should never have happened,” Representative Marc Molinaro said, noting that it was in line to receive a grant of about $3.6 million to keep operating past March 31.

“I’ve been a big supporter of Head Start and the national program is still fully funded,” he said in a statement released late Monday evening. “Last year, Sullivan County Head Start was awarded approximately $3.6 million in federal funding to continue operating through March 31, 2024. Another award, for approximately the same dollar amount, would have been awarded to Sullivan County Head Start to continue operations past March 31, 2024 – if they applied. As of now, it is unclear if they did.”

Calling Friday’s shutdown “abrupt” and “unexpected,” Molinaro said it leaves almost 400 families without childcare and 100 people out of work. He said attempts to contact the Office of Head Start in Washington have gone unanswered and that two meetings to discuss a solution have been canceled.

“I’m going public with this information because Head Start won’t,” he said in the statement. “This organization, at all levels, owes Sullivan County answers. I’m not going to be silent while working families and their kids get screwed because of this incompetence."

Molinaro represents New York’s 19th Congressional District, which includes Broome, Chenango, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties as well as part of Otsego and Ulster County.