SALT LAKE CITY — After-school and summer program leaders in Utah are concerned after the Trump administration announced its intention to withhold $6 billion in funding to ensure that grants comply with the president's polices.
If the funds don't flow to the state, it's believed that 7,000 kids in 83 different Utah communities will be without care this summer and the coming school year.
"These programs, which are making sure that these kids have some place safe to go, but they're also working on workforce development," explained Ben Trentelman, executive director for Utah Afterschool Network.
Trentleman worries that summer programs will be impacted by the lack of funding in the coming weeks.
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"It's very jarring for everybody," he said. "I was talking with the state superintendent just last week, and as far as she knew, the funds would be arriving on July 1. We understand making sure that things are running efficiently... but there are also more effective ways to do these things,"
He shared that the programs foster growth and support for students. Oftentimes, it’s an option that families need.
"We have a lot of working parents who are working multiple jobs that just aren't available during those after-school hours," Trentelman explained. "And so this helps to make sure that those kids have some place safe to be. The same with the summertime, where we have kids that need to be engaged throughout the day."
It's not clear when the administration might determine when and how it will begin distributing the money that's being withheld. In the meantime, Utah child care advocates are telling parents who are impacted to reach out to local leaders.
