More than 250 NC Head Start workers furloughed due to government shutdown

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Head Start programs are shutting down across North Carolina as a result of the government shutdown.

The result is that 258 people will temporarily be out of work.

This includes 55 people in the corporate office in Raleigh.

This becomes effective November 1.

The US Department of Agriculture announced there will be no new SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits issued on November 1st as a result of the government shutdown.

"This shutdown is putting strain on our communities. It's not just a Washington problem. It's a North Carolina story," said Abby Emanuelson, the Executive Director of NC Alliance for Health.

According to NCDHHS, more than 1.4 million North Carolinians rely on SNAP, including more than 580,000 children.