The Trump Administration froze more than $6 billion in congressionally approved funds while programs were investigated to make sure they reflect the president’s priorities. The Associated Press reports a senior official said the review of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program was over and funding restored. It was welcome news to Kateena Haynes, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Appalachia, which operates learning centers in Harlan, Letcher, and Bell counties.
“When this started happening, other clubs said, ‘Oh, well, that's okay. Just reach out to your donors. Reach out to your you know, corporations.’ And it was like, what do we do? You know, we don't have the donor base. We don't have the industry.”
Haynes said before the good news, she was preparing to make difficult calls to lots of people.
“I was going to have to lay off 15 people, I was going to have to tell 17 teachers that the supplemental income they got from 21st Century would no longer be there. But worst of all, I'd have to tell 600 kids and their families that those evening meals, those supports that they received from us, those lifesaving supports, wouldn't be there.”
Haynes said about 600 students in their six learning centers also learn critical life skills.
“We do money management, we do drug prevention, lots of social emotional learning programs and just to help them be able to compete in the classroom.”
