For many years now, 21st Century Learning Centers, or CLCs, which represent many of the afterschool programs across the U.S., have been doing more with less-often maintaining excellent programs with talented and dedicated staff, and successfully helping children close achievement gaps and mitigate the effects of poverty and childhood traumatic experiences. However, for many programs, chronic underfunding eventually results in reduced capacity to offer quality programming. The education privatization movement, led by the current Department of Education and it’s Secretary Betsy DeVos, champion of the choice movement, is aiming a death blow at CLC funding in the current 2019 budget proposal. DeVos is claiming to have evidence that the programs are not effective, in spite of much evidence to the contrary (See Youth Today’s response here).

To advocate for afterschool, support the Afterschool Alliance and tell your federal and state elected officials that you want expanded funding for afterschool. Here’s a great fact sheet on Wisconsin Afterschool to help you advocate for our kids, created by the Wisconsin Afterschool Network-an organization we’re fortunate to have working for us.