ACT Now’s Statement on Proposed Elimination of Funding for 21st CCLC and Full-Service Community Schools

Susan Stanton, Executive Director of ACT Now, has issued the following statement in response to the proposed elimination of dedicated funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) in President Donald Trump’s budget proposal through consolidating Title funding into block grants and reducing overall funding:

“ACT Now and our coalition partners are deeply disappointed to see the elimination of funding for the 21st CCLC and FSCS programs in President Trump’s proposed budget. These programs are the only federal funding streams solely dedicated to afterschool programs and community schools. These cuts will leave millions of hardworking families without care for their children and strip away opportunity from students all across the country.”

“ACT Now stands with educators, families and providers nationwide in urging Congress to reject this shortsighted proposal that will strip away essential resources for the kids and families who need them most.”

“Our children don’t have lobbyists. They don’t sit in on budget conversations or testify at hearings. But they are listening, and they will feel the consequences of this irresponsible budget proposal. If we slash funding for these programs, we will undermine our promise of opportunity for every child.”

Currently in Illinois, the 21st CCLC program serves nearly 60,000 children and FSCS has two state scaling grants that fund 32 schools in all corners of the state. These programs not only provide academically enriching environments for students and help ease the burden on working families, but they provide resources and opportunities to help shape a child’s life beyond the classroom.

ACT Now continues to urge both state and federal policymakers to recognize the irreplaceable role afterschool programs and community schools play in the lives of our youth and communities. It’s now more important than ever that Governor JB Pritzker and state leaders release last year’s funding and fully fund programs for this budget cycle.

“We are urging Governor JB Pritzker to take a public stand and fight back against these reckless cuts for families across the country. But, we need our own state to protect these programs too. The loss of both state and federal funding would devastate communities across Illinois, especially in areas that are already underserved and under-resourced. We remain committed to advocating for full funding and a fair future for all.”

Please continue to follow our newsletter to determine how you can take action. You can send our federal and state action alert to share the importance of this funding with your federal legislators here and our state action alert here.