Statement on the FY26 Budget and Afterschool Funding

Hello Advocates,

I wanted to share some updates regarding the FY26 state budget. We recognize the difficult fiscal environment that shaped the FY26 budget and extend our deep appreciation to the many legislative champions and tireless advocates who stood up for afterschool programs throughout this process. Your voices have been critical in ensuring that afterschool remains a visible and valued priority, even in tough budget years.

Over the weekend, the Senate introduced Senate Floor Amendment Number 3 to the state budget bill SB2510. Below are the proposed funding amounts for other youth development lines we have been tracking:

  • $35 million for the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) After-School Programming. A further note on this is below.
  • $12 million for After School Matters. This is a $6 million increase over the current funding level for After School Matters! There is also additional funding to support After School Matters’ infrastructure improvement costs.
  • $8.936 billion for evidence-based funding (EBF). This funding line received an increase of $310 million over its current funding level, which is $40 million less than last year’s increase. EBF supports K–12 schools across the state.
  • $2.5 million for the School STEAM Grant Program, administered by ISBE. This is level funding. While school districts receive this funding, programs may access these dollars via partnership.
  • $200,000 for afterschool program funding from COVID state funds appropriated to ISBE. There is no clarification yet on how ISBE will use these funds.
  • $17.812 million for Teen REACH. This is level funding. There remains a need for significant investment to ensure the expansion of this grant program.
  • $2.2 billion for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). This is approximately $89 million less than in FY25. Some of these funds will be used to cover prior-year costs.
  • $45 million for the Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA), out of a total of $136 million (for consecutive fiscal years). This funding is administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). It will support youth development opportunities and violence prevention services in areas across Chicago and the state with high rates of firearm violence. $32.16 million will be reappropriated from the State Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Fund for the RPSA grant program.
  • $5.5 million for YouthBuild Illinois. This program received level funding. It supports low-income youth and young adults (ages 16–24) who have dropped out of school and are unemployed and/or have limited job skills.
  • $180 million for the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) Grant Program. This represents a $20 million decrease from the current funding level. The funding is administered by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) and supports youth development programs across the state. However, an additional $2 million has been allocated for research, analysis, and evaluation of the R3 program.

We must be clear: Illinois has failed to fulfill its promise to students and working families to provide high-quality, safe, and engaging afterschool opportunities statewide. Delays in developing a statewide grant program for the $50 million included in the FY25 budget have led to the collapse of vital services — programs serving 27,000 youth have shut down with no provision to continue. Despite a commitment to investing $50 million in afterschool programming, the FY26 budget falls short, eliminating this appropriation, which was never spent. The consequences are being felt by children, families, and communities who rely on these supports every day. By the end of the month, approximately 15,000 additional students are slated to lose access to programming statewide. Hundreds of program staff will also lose their jobs. This is unacceptable.

The General Assembly also failed to pass legislation to form an Out-of-School Time (OST) Council. This body will be essential to ensuring the needs of OST programs are met. In light of proposed federal changes to eliminate and consolidate OST funding, this Council is more critical than ever. Veto session dates for the fall have not been announced; however, given the ongoing changes at the federal level, we anticipate possible session dates over the summer, which may offer additional advocacy opportunities.

We also seek immediate clarity on the additional $10 million allocated to ISBE’s “After-School Programming” grant line. Historically, this funding has been granted through a line item titled “After School Programs,” which was distributed via formula to school districts and through a competitive grant process for community-based organizations (CBOs). Funding allocated to school districts has traditionally outweighed what was available to CBOs and school partners. We are unsure whether the slight change in the line-item name will impact how these funds are distributed. What is clear is that, at a time when afterschool programs are disappearing due to inaction, these funds must be clearly defined, transparently administered, and swiftly distributed to meet urgent needs.

This was an incredibly difficult legislative session, marked by extreme fiscal limitations. Some of the Governor’s and legislative leaders’ top priorities were stalled. Many advocates were unable to advance any of their initiatives. The fact that $10 million was added to afterschool funding during a time when many programs were cut or eliminated is a significant accomplishment. This underscores that your voice is powerful and impactful, and we must continue our efforts.

Lastly, we want to note that there have been many recent developments at the federal level regarding OST and community school funding. We will provide a more comprehensive update in the newsletter tomorrow.

ACT Now remains committed to working with all state leaders to ensure that afterschool and youth development are not treated as optional extras or supplemental opportunities for youth — but as fundamental components of a strong, diverse, and high-quality Illinois education system.

With Gratitude,
Susan Stanton

ACT Now Executive Director