Federal budget cuts could impact Utah after-school, summer programs

SOUTH SALT LAKE — Edward Lopez doesn't need to consult his notes when asked about the consequences of federal funding being cut from South Salt Lake's children's summer and afters-chool programs.

"It will impact our community greatly," he said immediately.

Working-class families are the norm in South Salt Lake — and local moms, dads and guardians are often working long hours to pay for rising housing costs, food and other daily expenses, added Lopez, the deputy director of Promise South Salt Lake — a city department that provides youth, family and community programming at no cost.

South Salt Lake's summer and after-school programs offer local youth opportunities to safely gather with other kids, learn new skills, play soccer and other sports, enjoy a nutritious meal and build education and career skills that will serve them for years to come.

But now many of those South Salt Lake programs — and similar programs across the state and nation — could be in jeopardy because of recent federal cash freezes.

Federal funds for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) are among the $6 billion in education grants the Trump administration is withholding, saying it wants to ensure recipients' programs align with the president's priorities.

The 21st CCLC grants are administered by the Education Department — a federal agency Trump hopes to scrap.

On Monday, more than 20 Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration to force the release of the money, The Associated Press reported.

Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isn't released soon, according to The Associated Press.

In some states, school restarts in late July and early August.

Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants, the Associated Press reported.

Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia.

New America's analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states.

The Education Department's 2026 budget includes a proposed "K-12 Simplified Funding Program," which would consolidate many currently federally funded grant programs for elementary and secondary education into a single "state formula" grant program.

States and localities would have flexibility to use Simplified Funding Program funds for any number of elementary and secondary education activities, consistent with the needs of their communities, according to the education department.

'A devastating impact on Salt Lake County families'

Legions of Utah children participate in afterschool and summer programs that receive federal funding through 21st CCLC.

Approximately 40% of all public funding for the state's afterschool and summer programs comes from 21st CCLC, according to the nonprofit Utah Afterschool Network.

"The loss of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant would have a devastating impact on Salt Lake County families," said Carolyn Hansen, director of Salt Lake County Youth Services, in a Utah Aftershool Network release.

"These funds make it possible to offer high-quality programs in Magna, West Valley City and Kearns. Without them, we face the very real threat of reducing or eliminating programs hundreds of families depend on."

Network executive director Ben Trentelman told the Deseret News that approximately 30,000 Utah kids are being served in after-school programs across the state.

"Of those kids, about 10,000 of them were kids that attended programs that are funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant," Trentelman said.

Utah's working families, added Trentelman, depend on well-staffed, efficiently operated summer and after-school youth programs.

"Right now, our state is in a child care crisis," he said, adding that some child care programs have had to shut down in recent years due to funding decreases — even while family expenses are on the rise.

"These programs are in high demand because they're affordable and because they're available during the hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. when kids tend to be engaged in the riskiest behaviors," Trentelman said.

After school and summer programs, he added, "give parents a leg up to make sure that when they get home at the end of the day, their kids have finished their homework. It helps to add to quality time for families."

Trentelman is quick to note that the youth programs expected to be impacted by a loss of 21st CCLC funds do much more than simply keep kids out of trouble.

Utah's after-school and summer youth programs, added Trentelman, also allow kids to, well, be kids — and have plenty of fun while positively connecting with others in their communities.

"The programs offer a lot of enrichment activities, such as athletics and physical activities. There are activities on health and nutrition — and also activities helping kids navigate challenging social situations with trusted adults."

About half of Utah's after-school and summer program providers are standalone facilities, such as local recreation centers, the YMCA, and Boys and Girls Clubs. Others are school-based, after-school programs that operate on school grounds, classrooms and cafeterias.

"Typically, those school-based programs are the programs that are going to be most widely impacted by this 21st Century Community Learning Center fund," said Trentelman. "Typically, that fund supports school-based collaboration or collaboration with community organizations and schools, which means that schools have an influx of resources to be able to provide more holistic services to those kids after the school day ends."

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