Day camp providers and schools are warning that a Trump administration funding freeze could wreck summer for low-income American families and wipe out some after-school programming next year.
The administration is withholding more than $6 billion in federal grants for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more as part of a review to ensure grants align with President Donald Trump’s priorities.
The move leaves states and schools in limbo as they budget for programs this summer and in the upcoming school year, introducing new uncertainty about when — or if — they will receive the money. It also sets the stage for a clash with Democrats, who say the administration is flouting the law by holding back money Congress appropriated.
Without the money, schools say they won't be able to provide free or affordable after-school care for low-income kids while their parents work, and they may not be able to hire staff to teach children who are learning English. Even classes or camps underway this summer could be in jeopardy.
For instance, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America depend on some of the withheld money to run camps and other summer programming for low-income students. If funding isn’t restored soon, the programming may end mid-season, said Boys and Girls Club President Jim Clark.
After-school programming in the fall could also take a hit. “If these funds are blocked, the fallout will be swift and devastating,” Clark said. As many as 926 Boys and Girls Clubs could close, affecting more than 220,000 kids, the group said.
Programs that rely on the money were expecting it to be distributed July 1, but an Education Department notice issued Monday announced the money would not be released while the programs are under review. The department did not provide a timeline and warned that “decisions have not yet been made” on grants for the upcoming school year.
“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” Education Department officials wrote in the notice, which was obtained by The Associated Press.
The department referred questions to the Office of Management and Budget, which did not respond to a request for comment.
After-school child care at risk
In Gadsden City Schools in Alabama, officials say they'll have no choice but to shutter their after-school program serving more than 1,200 low-income students if federal funds aren't released. There’s no other way to make up for the frozen federal money, said Janie Browning, who directs the program.
Families who rely on after-school programs would lose an important source of child care that keeps children safe and engaged while their parents work. The roughly 75 employees of the district's after-school programs may lose their jobs.
“Those hours between after school and 6 o’clock really are the hours in the day when students are at the most risk for things that may not produce great outcomes,” Browning said. “It would be devastating if we lost the lifeline of afterschool for our students and our families.”
Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, said withholding the money could cause lasting damage to the economy.
Some advocates fear the grants are being targeted for elimination, which could force schools to cut programs and teachers. Trump’s 2026 budget proposal called for Congress to zero out all of the programs under review, signaling the administration sees them as unnecessary.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., pressed the administration to spend the money as Congress intended.
“Every day that this funding is held up is a day that school districts are forced to worry about whether they’ll have to cut back on afterschool programs or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can succeed,” Murray said in a statement.
What the money funds
The six grant programs under review include one known as 21st Century Community Learning Centers. It’s the primary federal funding source for after-school and summer learning programs and supports more than 10,000 local programs nationwide, according to the Afterschool Alliance. Every state runs its own competition to distribute the grants, which totaled $1.3 billion this fiscal year.
Also under review are $2 billion in grants for teachers' professional development and efforts to reduce class size; $1 billion for academic enrichment grants, often used for science and math education and accelerated learning; $890 million for students who are learning English; $376 million to educate the children of migrant workers; and $715 million to teach adults how to read.
These programs account for over 20% of the federal money the District of Columbia receives for K-12 education, according to an analysis by the Learning Policy Institute, a think tank. California alone has at least $800 million in limbo, while Texas has more than $660 million.
“Trump is illegally impounding billions of dollars appropriated by Congress to serve students this fiscal year," said Tony Thurmond, California's state superintendent, in a statement. “The Administration is punishing children when states refuse to cater to Trump’s political ideology.
The loss of funds could “put several more school districts in extreme financial distress,” said Chris Reykdal, superintendent of public instruction in Washington state. Districts have already adopted budgets, planned programming and hired staff, assuming they'd receive the money, Reykdal said.
If the funding freeze remains, children learning English and their parents would be especially affected. Some districts use the money to pay for summer programming designed for English learners, family engagement specialists who can communicate with parents and professional development training for staff. Rural districts would be hit the hardest.
“They’re trying to send a message,” said Amaya Garcia, who oversees education research at New America, a left-leaning think tank. “They don’t believe that taxpayer funding should be used for these children.”
Umatilla School District in rural eastern Oregon — with a sizable population of migrant families and students learning English — relies heavily on federal funding for its after-school and summer school programs. Superintendent Heidi Sipe says she is meeting with state officials soon to find out if the district will have to plan an early end to summer school, an option 20% of students are using. Come this fall, if federal money stays frozen, she’ll have to lay off staff and eliminate after-school programs attended by around half the district's students.
“It’s an essential service in our community because we don’t have any licensed child care centers for school-age children,” she said.
Sipe said it’s particularly frustrating to deal with these funds being put into limbo because the school district was in the middle of a five-year grant period.
“It feels preventable,” she said, “and it feels as though we could have done a better job planning for America’s children.”
Picture Courtesy: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File
