Local afterschool enrichment programs directors were relieved to hear federal funding already promised to them this year will be released after Trump freeze but say the future of their programs remain shaky.
Horizon Education Centers provides summer and after-school enrichment programming for youth, including fun visits like this from members of the Star Wars Character Group, A Galaxy United, during the pandemic.
But Executive Director Dave Smith says Trump's federal funding freeze - and then potential unfreeze - plus other looming cuts mean thousands of children and families could soon still be left without enrichment and childcare options. CLEVELAND, Ohio – After-school programming providers across Northeast Ohio have been announcing closures and scaling back services that provide vital academic and childcare to thousands of low-income families, after the Trump administration froze some of their federal funding. But as of Friday, it looked like at least some of that money is being restored.that the director for the Office of Budget and Management told her the Department of Education is “releasing crucial funds to states that support after school and summer education programs.” The $6 billion in federal education spending had already been appropriated by Congress and allocated to providers before President Trump froze it ahead of the new school year. Included in the pot were millions in 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, which support before- and after-school enrichment programs for low-income families. Programs were counting on that money and had already factored it into their budgets for the 2025-2026 school year, area program directors told cleveland.com. They had allocated it toward youth development activities, tutoring to help boost math and reading skills, and parent engagement. Many programs also provide meals and snacks to ensure no kid goes hungry. They started planning closures and layoffs when the funding was frozen and warning parents that they’d need to find other accommodations for their children before the start of the school year, just a month away. In Ohio, most schools restart in mid-to-late August. Those agencies were breathing a sigh of relief Friday, as word spread about the dollars being released, though with some reservation, given it hasn’t been officially confirmed. “We’re excited that this is a possibility,” Allen Smith, CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio, told cleveland.com. The organization had been bracing to lose $1.8 million in funding this year, forcing closures and program reductions that would have impacted 1,500 kids. “It makes us feel good because now we can fulfill the promises we’ve made to children and families,” he said.Dave Smith, executive director of Horizon Education Centers, isn’t fully celebrating, though. Releasing the $2.9 million promised to Horizon can save programs for the next year, particularly at their school-based locations that serve over 1,000 kids in Cleveland, Elyria and Lorain, he told cleveland.com. That means he gets to call schools and families back and tell them that the sites are back open. He also gets to tell the 97 tutors he’d planned to lay off as of Aug. 15 that they still have jobs. “I think we’re going to be able to pull everything back and have a good program year,” Dave Smith, who is not related to Allen Smith, said. But the relief will be short-lived, he predicted. Other changes in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Congress remain “a death blow to afterschool programs” across the country, he argued. He was referring to a part of the federal budget that consolidates funding for 18 federal education programs, including the 21st Century program, into a single block grant, and cuts the available dollars from $6.5 billion to $2 billion. “So, there’s not going to be any follow-up funding, even if we do get this money released,” Dave Smith said. “It’s great to be able to run another year of programming, but realistically, this thing is dead.”Friday that a senior administration official confirmed that the funds are being released, but with “guardrails...to ensure these funds are not used in violation of Executive Orders.” Officials have not clarified what that means or how much of the $6 billion could still be withheld. About two dozen states are suing the Trump administration to release the full $6 billion in education funding, but Ohio isn’t one of them. Aon Friday still said the funding is under review and that the department is, “committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.” And the release only covers funding for this year. Northeast Ohio Boys and Girls Clubs had been promised and planned for a total of $5 million in 21st Century grant funding through 2029, Allen Smith said. That money directly supports 11 sites, including at Joseph M. Gallagher Elementary School and Franklin D. Roosevelt Academy in Cleveland. That means that next year the clubs may have to start enacting the contingency plans they’ve been drawing up this week to account for the loss, which could include closing sites or reducing programming. It’s not just the sites directly affected by the freeze on the chopping block. Smith said they’re evaluating all sites to prioritize those that serve the greatest number of kids. “The challenge isn’t so much that you lose government dollars, because we do realize at times those dollars can go away; the challenge is dollars that have already been allocated,” Allen Smith said.Cleveland Metropolitan School District closed– about $8.5 million, which Smith said wasn’t as much as the clubs wanted but more than the $5 million they’d been receiving – but were still expecting negative impacts. Cleveland.com also reached out to Open Doors Academy and YMCA of Greater Cleveland to learn about how the funding freezes and potential future cuts will impact their after-school programs. Gateway shifts funds, relies on IOUs to stay afloat while awaiting funding fix — with staff pay raises on deck ‘A leap of faith’: Cuyahoga County will replace Diversion Center with new behavioral health crisis centerIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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