President Donald trump announced his first proposed budget for the country and it’s creating a firestorm of reaction from coast to coast including here in Omaha.
For education, Trump’s budget includes a $1.4 billion dollar increase for public and private school choice programs - but it would eliminate all funding for before and after-school and summer programs Collective For Youth, an organization that provides after-school programs in 31 schools in the Omaha area is one of the organizations concerned with the possibility of loss of funds.
"Knowing that the federal cuts is a third of the overall budget - $1.3 million is a lot of to make a difference every year,” says Megan Addison, Executive Director for the organization.
She says the proposed budget would have a negative ripple down effect in the community.
"Parents count on these programs while they work and then also count on them for the support for their kids’ academics. So when funding gets cut, that means less kids get cut and served or they get served in a less quality way,” says Addison.
CFY, as well as many of their partnering agencies, like Completely Kids, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands, D.R.E.A.M, Kids Can, and the YMCA serve about 6,500 kids and families K-8, and about 1,000 kids daily. Carla Rizzo, Programs Director for Completely Kids says kids go to the after-school programs from the time school is let out until about 6:30 p.m., weekdays during the school year, and for six weeks during the summer.
Rizzo says after-school programs are essential to the academic success of kids through enrichment programs that help with tutoring, math, literature, technology and science, especially for kids in poverty. "The thing that's most protective for kids in property is having access to caring adults. In their lives and that's one of the main things after school programs do for kids,” says Rizzo.
The programs provide meals for kids after school, which is crucial for low-income families in northeast and southeast Omaha.
"Completely Kids sends home backpacks of child-friendly healthy foods with 496 kids every weekend throughout our community. A lot of those kids would literally have nothing to eat over the weekend without that service,” says Rizzo.
Although the budget is not set in stone, Addison says her organization is already encouraging families and supporters to reach out to their local representatives to let them know their deep concerns over the possible elimination of funding.
