BRATTLEBORO-It was no April Fool's Day Joke.
On April 1, five Administration for Children regional offices were shuttered and staff put on administrative leave. Entire programs, divisions, and teams have been gutted.
These five offices, including the one in Boston, serve 23 states and provide oversight and support to Head Start and Child Care and Development Fund programs. The knowledge, expertise, and guidance of these federal workers is crucial to the 2,809 grantees and almost a million children these programs serve.
This is a national disaster. It is also a local one in Brattleboro, where Early Education Services (EES) provides Head Start services to 136 children and families throughout Windham County.