After-school program orgs seek $70M in new state grants to cover gap from fed cuts

By Sean Reed | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A coalition of nonprofit organizations that provide after-school and summer programs for Illinois students is warning their services may suffer if they don’t get more state funding.

Leaders of various organizations and the ACT Now coalition gathered Tuesday to contact lawmakers in Springfield, who they want to pass a package of bills that would give new state-funded grants to various after-school programs.

In lieu of attending the virtual event, U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, a Democrat serving the 3rd Congressional District of Illinois, filmed a video for the organization’s gathering, in which she said she wants to see more funding for after-school programs.

“In [after school programs], we’re building networks of care, fostering environments of mutual protection, and encouraging student leadership and nurturing their potential, no matter their ZIP code or their citizenship status,” Ramirez said.

Coalition-supported bills include HB 5362 and HB 3082, which would appropriate $20 million and $50 million respectively to the Illinois State Board of Education after-school and other programs run by groups that are part of the coalition, along with HB 5363, which would create a permanent grant structure to disburse those funds.

Despite the support from some lawmakers, the request comes as many have questioned the legitimacy of state spending on childcare nationwide.

Early last month, one Chicago-based nonprofit executive was sentenced to a year in prison after defrauding ISBE out of roughly $1.9 million, working alongside another executive in a pair of schemes.

Programs abruptly had federal funds pulled by the U.S. Department of Education over a July 2025 memo by former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, which guided federal agencies to revoke grants over language relating to DEI, which the memo classified as discriminatory.

In March, state Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Louisville, said programs could solve their funding issue without tens of millions dollars in new state spending while discussing the legislation in a committee hearing.

Wilhour suggested grant applicants could comply and make an earnest attempt to remove DEI language from their applications to have their funding reinstated.

Brenda Solórzano of Family Focus, a family-centered organization providing support services like after-school care in and around Chicago, said she has seen a positive impact from their services, keeping kids in school and easing strain for working parents.

“It’s programs like our after-school and summer programs that are among the few places where hundreds of families we serve feel welcomed and supported without judgment. Parents have so much on their plates. They’re managing rising costs in every area of their lives,” Solórzano said.

In the House preliminary version of the state budget for the coming year, roughly $38.9 million has been earmarked for a variety of afterschool programming, $31 million of which would be directly allocated to ISBE.