Stress and uncertainty at Head Start and clinics as federal health funding system sputters
Many groups that rely on a federal payment portal started experiencing problems accessing funds last week. HHS says "technical issues" are to blame and lag times continue.
![Stress and uncertainty at Head Start and clinics as federal health funding system sputters](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x3375+0+0/resize/1400/quality/100/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd1%2F74%2Fbb1bee114930b5c70038a601e036%2Fap25031001604212.jpg)
![Children play during aftercare for the Head Start program at Easterseals South Florida, an organization that gets about a third of its funding from the federal government on Wednesday, Jan. 29, in Miami.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/6000x4000!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd1%2F74%2Fbb1bee114930b5c70038a601e036%2Fap25031001604212.jpg)
Many groups that rely on a federal payment portal started experiencing problems accessing funds last week. HHS says "technical issues" are to blame and lag times continue.
(Image credit: Rebecca Blackwell)