KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In May, the YMCA of Greater Kansas City plans to close its Northland, Park Hill, Columbus Park, and Thomas Roque Head Start program locations. The Head Start program provides eligible children with education, nutrition, and health services. Head Start services are availabl e for families that meet income eligibility guidelines or have a child with a diagnosed disability. The YMCA of Greater Kansas City cited staffing issues as part of the reason for its program closures. The YMCA said the last day will be May 23, 2025, as long as staffing allows. Staffers with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) are working with families impacted by connecting them with other programs and resources in the area. KC football players step up for 8-year-old told ‘girls can’t play football’ “We do what's called a transfer for families, and they become the top priority within our network. So we have 17 providers that we work closely with, not including the Y, that we have opportunities with specifically in Jackson, Platte, and Clay Counties,” said MARC Head Start Director Kasey Lawson. It’s a federal program with 1,600 agencies across the country. In a statement, the YMCA of Greater Kansas City said: “The Y has been honored to operate Head Start programs for the past 20 years. Despite years of dedicated effort to recruit and retain qualified staff in an increasingly difficult workforce environment, it is no longer sustainable to operate Head Start programs.” MARC is the grantee overseeing programs locally. “MARC is still the grantee. We are still receiving funds from the federal government to continue providing services to children and families in the community. So, MARC, Head Start is here to stay, and we are working to navigate the next steps,” Lawson explained. MARC will look for other partners to take on the open program slots in the coming weeks. “We are going to do a request for proposal, which will go out to the community to find additional providers that might be interested in serving these children, specifically in Clay and Platte counties. We have such a huge need up there,” Lawson said. Brian Platt speaks publicly for first time since suspension The Mid-America Regional Council will provide staff members impacted by the YMCA’s head start closures with a list of job openings within the network that are available to them. Lawson said they are committed to the more than 2,000 students they serve. “We're not looking to reduce that overall number. So we will just keep looking for a partner willing to take those slots on,” Lawson explained. The YMCA of Greater Kansas City will continue its other preschool and before and after school programs. ...read more read less