Summer, After School care programs at risk after federal government withholds funds
Jul 4, 2025, 9:00 AM
Summer programs offer literary, STEM, athletic and engagement activities. (Shelby Lofton, KSL TV)
(Shelby Lofton, KSL TV)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Afterschool Network warns that the summer programs thousands of Utah parents rely on for childcare are at risk. Program leaders were anticipating federal funding to come down earlier this week. Now, that funding is on pause.
The program warns that this funding pause could force some summer care centers to close after the holiday weekend.
“There’s no assurance that our program will be there on Monday for them,” said Afterschool Network Executive Director Ben Trentelman.
The U.S. Department of Education is withholding funds, including the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant, while it reviews the programs it goes to. That includes Promise South Salt Lake.
“Parents need to work full time in order to provide for their families, and so it’s providing a safe location for students to be while parents are at work,” said Kelli Meranda with Promise South Salt Lake.
At Promise South Salt Lake, K-12 students are provided meals and recreation, literary and STEM activities.
“Our programs this summer are 100% enrolled, so, you know, we had all of our available slots filled with families needing programs and services … We actually had a wait list larger this year than previous years,” Meranda said.
Trentelman said these programs are in high demand.
“In the state in the 21st Century funded programs, we had 10,000 kids,” he said.
Trentelman said Utah Afterschool Network received little warning from the federal government.
“These are congressionally approved funds. They were approved back in March by Congress and by the president,” he said. “Everyone was very surprised by this.”
The timing could have big impacts.
“No on e has had any time to prepare for this,” Trentelman said.
Meranda said Promise South Salt Lake is working out how it will operate when school starts back up, and next summer if funds aren’t released soon.
“Last year, we served about 1,100 students utilizing those 21st Century funds, so those funds have a large impact in our community,” Meranda said.
Trentelman said the federal government hasn’t given any timeline of when it will decide if these funds are released and when. He’s asking people to reach out to members of Congress for help.
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