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AUGUSTA, Ga. () – The Trump administration’s plans to freeze more than $6 billion in federal education funding could impact after-school programs in Georgia and South Carolina.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta is one organization feeling the impacts of the frozen funding with the first day of school just a few weeks away.
On June 30th, the Federal Department of Education informed state agencies that 21st Century Community Learning Center funds would not be distributed on July 1st as scheduled.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta has been receiving around $3 million per year which supports 7 of the clubs locations.
This money helped to pay for the after-school clubs, teachers, summer camp and more.
“We have an 8.6-million-dollar budget and of the 8.6, 3 million comes from 21st century, that’s a really large number, it’s a lot of people and a lot of kids that are served.” says Kim Evans, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta. “It’s tough to hear that our government would pull funding like that that supports underserved communities.”
She says depending on how long the freeze lasts, it will be all hands on deck from the community.
“If we want to see these programs stick around and continue to serve our communities then I think Augusta is going to have to figure out how to take care of its own. If I had an organization like Boys & Girls Clubs I don’t know what I would have been able to do with myself, the possibilities would have been endless had I had this kind of opportunity,” said Evans
Evans says after-school care is important for not only kids but for parents to know that they have a safe place to take their child while they are working.
“We make sure that kids are staying on track academically after school. We make sure that they know all of the different career pathways and things like that that they would otherwise not be introduced to had they not come to a Boys & Girls Club,” Evans said.
Evan tells me they are taking day by day right now.
“We are three weeks away from school starting so I am probably 4 or 5 days away from having to make a decision about whether or not clubs are going to be open, I’ve got to figure out what we’re going to do,” said Evans.
This week more than 20 states filed a federal lawsuit to prevent that funding freeze.
If you wish to donate or help the Boys & Girls Clubs you can find the link here.
