Don’t let our students’ favorite afterschool clubs be forced to close their doors.
On July 1st, states were scheduled to receive Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funding—the largest federal funding stream dedicated exclusively to out-of-school and summer learning programs.
Instead, those essential funds were frozen, withheld—leaving programs across the country scrambling to stay open.
Until today.
As of this morning, congress has announced that these funds will be released to state education agencies. From there, the funds will be dispersed to grantees. With great scares comes great relief—so take a moment to exhale, appreciate this win, and get ready for the continued work ahead.
These funds were allocated from last year’s budget, the new budget aims to fully cut funding for afterschool programs and it is up to us to stop that from happening.
Why is 21st CCLC So Important?
21st CCLC programs do more than fill time—they keep students safe, engaged, and supported when the school day ends. They help close learning gaps, strengthen social‑emotional skills, and offer stability to working families—especially in underserved communities.
When these programs disappear, students lose far more than a place to go—they lose critical support that helps them thrive, now and in the future. Without them:
- Fewer students will be served—and more unsupervised
- Staff hours will be reduced and positions eliminated
- Program closures in high-need areas could lead to higher juvenile crime rates
- Greater strain will be placed on schools and families already under pressure to keep kids safe and supported
What Can We Do?
As always in challenging times, strength is found in unity and action.
We’re together in this. We are a movement of educators, providers, families, and community champions—and together, we have the power to make things happen.
According to Afterschool Snack, when these funds were frozen, we rallied together and 21,400 people sent over 100,000 emails to Congress and Governors, and it worked.
But in order to save 21st CCLC and our afterschool in years to come, we must continue advocating all year long.
Here’s how you can take action right now:
- Use the funds. Show congress that these dollars are essential to building quality programs for our kids.
- Share your impact. Show how your program makes a difference—through data, student voices, and community stories. The more visibility OST programs have, the harder they are to ignore.
- Stay informed. Follow updates from organizations like Afterschool Alliance, National Afterschool Association, and The California Afterschool Network. Afterschool Alliance has created a hub for taking action, making it easy to stand up and be heard through a variety of avenues:
Every email, every call, every story shared brings us closer to protecting these programs. Let’s act now.
We’re With You
At 6crickets, we work with districts and providers across the country who are doing extraordinary things with limited resources.
We’ve seen firsthand how OST programs change lives—building confidence, closing learning gaps, helping students thrive, and concretely improve student outcomes.
Afterschool isn’t a luxury or an extra; It’s a lifeline for millions of students and families.
This is a challenging moment, but we are not powerless.
Let’s speak up.
Let’s stand together.
Let’s fight for the future our students deserve.
Our students are counting on us—and we will not let them down.
Yours in Education,
6crickets Team
