Nearly 400 families in the Hudson Valley are without child care and about 100 providers without employment after the Sullivan County Head Start program abruptly closed, leading one area congressman to say Monday night that families got “screwed” because of “incompetence.”

Sullivan County Head Start posted a message late last week saying it had closed until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances. In response to questions, a county spokesperson on Monday afternoon released a statement saying county officials were working with stakeholders, Head Start's staff and others to address the situation.

On Monday evening, Rep. Marc Molinaro, who called himself a big supporter of Head Start, said Sullivan County Head Start received about $3.6 million in federal funding to operate through March 31, and another award, for approximately the same amount, would have been awarded to the program to continue past March 31 – if they applied.

As of Monday, it was unclear if it did apply, Molinaro said. He called the closure abrupt and unexpected, and said it should have never happened. Head Start is a mostly federal program that helps young children enhance their cognitive, social and emotional development.

“In the days since the closure however, attempts to contact the Office of Head Start in Washington, DC have gone unanswered and two meetings to discuss a fix have been cancelled," Molinaro said in a statement. “I’m going public with this information because Head Start won’t. This organization, at all levels, owes Sullivan County answers. I’m not going to be silent while working families and their kids get screwed because of this incompetence."

Molinaro said the priority is to get kids temporary care and find the county a new, permanent Head Start provider.

Sullivan County said it will provide additional information when it's available, and anyone needing assistance should call Sullivan County's Health and Human Services at (845) 292-0100.