- Partnership 4 Kids in Omaha faces a $240,000 cut in federal funding due to reductions from the Department of Government Efficiency, impacting its AmeriCorps-supported programs.
- The funding cuts will particularly affect high school and postsecondary initiatives, which support 300 children, and may lead to a $130,000 deficit for the non-profit.
- The non-profit's President, Deb Denbeck, urges community members to volunteer as the organization works to navigate staff transitions and sustain its programs.
Tough times are hitting Omaha's Partnership 4 Kids. On April 26th, the non-profit learned that $240,000 in federal funding would be cut effective immediately.
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“We're bound and determined; we'll find a way or an opportunity to really make this bad situation into a good opportunity. But our program won't be the same,” said Partnership 4 Kids President Deb Denbeck.
The cuts came after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut $400 million in funding for its partner AmeriCorps. Partnership 4 Kids is the only non-profit in Nebraska that receives assistance from AmeriCorps.
“It’s a 5-to-1 return on the dollar, which is probably one of the most efficient and effective programs in the country. Volunteerism is critical to our country in general, so it's really sad to see AmeriCorps in this position with cuts,” Denbeck said.
The hardest-hit programs are the high school and postsecondary initiatives, where staff provided by AmeriCorps help teens pursue debt-free higher education. Most of these students are first-generation college students. Without the funding, AmeriCorps will no longer be able to provide support for the 300 children in those programs.
“These are people who have built great relationships with our students and have helped them in various ways, whether it be applying to college, filling out FAFSA forms, staying in college, or overcoming critical times in their lives. They've been instrumental,” Denbeck said.
Partnership 4 Kids had seven staff members through their partnership with AmeriCorps; three went through the non-profit's program. Denbeck said this cut puts them at a $130,000 deficit.
“It's up in the air right now. We're trying to hire back those members on a part-time basis through the summer, and then replace them with two full-time positions. You're replacing two people for five to six, which is very difficult,” Denbeck said.
In an op-ed published in the Washington Post, Rep. Don Bacon expressed his support for President Trump’s efforts to root out “fraud and waste.” However, he criticized DOGE’s cuts to AmeriCorps, stating:
“The program fosters civic pride, develops life-changing job skills, and strengthens communities in every corner of this country.”
In total, Partnership 4 Kids services 2,400 students in the Omaha metro. Students who went through their programs have a 97% high school graduation rate and a 94% stayed enrolled in college through sophomore year.
Denbeck expects the deficit to grow in 2026 because they will have to hire full-time staff, and she is asking community members to volunteer.
