Now, a network of summer care and after-school programs in Utah, funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grants, is under an existential threat, and the families of 10,000 children in 83 Utah programs could potentially lose their plans not only for educational opportunities, but also for child care for working parents.
The grants approved by Congress are typically distributed in April or May each year to fund high-in-demand programs offered in public and charter schools, as well as other community centers such as libraries and faith-based institutions.
But the Trump administration is still studying whether these school programs align with other presidential initiatives, said Ben Trentelman, executive director at Utah Afterschool Network.
“Programs depend on that funding in order to be able to operate, and so if they can’t bill the state for reimbursement, these programs are unsure of exactly how long they’re going to be able to operate,” Trentelman said on Wednesday.
The programs may use registration fees or other means to pay for a portion of their operating costs up front. While there is other funding for the after-school and summer services, federal money is the top source, Trentelman said, accounting for over $6 million. Currently, there’s no state investment for the program.
“This enables programs to be able to operate at a higher capacity, to have higher ratios with the number of staff that they have in the number of youth that they’re able to serve,” he added.
The Utah State Board of Education, which administers the funds locally, notified program managers they can continue using any remaining funds through August. But there’s no guarantee of funding after that, Trentelman said. At this point, most programs have already spent most of their budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
Read the full report at UtahNewsDispatch.com.
