We are tremendously relieved—for youth, their families, and the professionals who work with them—to hear that the Administration will release the FY25 afterschool and summer learning program funds it had withheld, which were congressionally approved and due to states and D.C. on July 1.

Make no mistake, this outcome was a direct result of a collective effort from parents, program leaders and staff, youth advocates, and community champions who came together to speak up for what matters: giving young people safe, enriching spaces to learn, grow, and thrive. We made our voices heard and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle listened.

This result reflects broad national consensus—more than 85 percent of voters, across party lines, support public funding for afterschool and summer programs because they know these programs offer vital academic, social, and emotional support for youth while also helping working families bridge the gap between school and home.

We deeply appreciate the bipartisan efforts made by lawmakers and state attorneys general, including our own champions—Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch, Rep. Becca Balint, and Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark—to release the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funds, ensuring critical afterschool and summer programs can continue serving children and families across the country, including nearly 11,000 youth in 94 sites here in Vermont. 

However, while we are elated that this decision provides much-needed stability for the current school year, the field remains under threat. We are deeply concerned that the Administration is proposing $0 for 21st CCLC next year, instead collapsing it into a ‘K–12 Simplified Funding Plan’ with dramatically reduced support. If Congress agrees to this proposal, we will see more children and youth unsupervised and at risk, fewer academic skills, more hungry kids, more chronic absenteeism, higher dropout rates, more parents forced out of their jobs, and a less STEM-ready and successful workforce as our child care crisis worsens dramatically.

So while we celebrate today, we remain vigilant and ready to mobilize to show the power of afterschool and summer programs, and hope many of you will stay engaged in this process with us.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the Afterschool Alliance for its tireless efforts to mobilize the field and keep stakeholders informed. Their national leadership played a crucial role in securing this outcome, as did the efforts of our colleagues from across the country. 

And as always, we celebrate you, our afterschool and summer professionals, for all that you do for Vermont’s youth.

~Nicole Miller
Executive Director
Vermont Afterschool