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Program that provides child care to agriculture workers' families not operating amid government shutdown

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published November 12, 2025 at 6:40 AM EST
Some corporations are opening up their doors to providing more support for child care.
Evgeniia Siiankovskaia
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Getty Images
Some corporations are opening up their doors to providing more support for child care.

The East Coast Migrant Head Start Project has been providing child care to agriculture workers' families since 1974, but employees for the projects in Duplin and Pitt counties are on a temporary layoff due to the government shutdown.

Officials said that leaves hundreds of North Carolina children without high-quality early care and education and many families without a reliable place to send their children while they work.

Its North Carolina campuses were serving 250 children when they were forced to close, according to CEO Javier Gonzalez.

Agriculture represents one-sixth of North Carolina’s overall income, and its workers need child care.

Head Start is funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston