Mastodawn

So yeah, the local #GirlsClub was a big part of my life. My Greek- and Lebanese-American cousins who lived in the neighborhood showed me how to cook in the Club's kitchen. Adult relatives attempting to teach me cooking was always a bit problematic for me. But my cousins were patient and kind (and silly), and having our "own" kitchen to experiment in was brilliant -- as long as we cleaned up afterwards!

#AfterSchoolCare #AfterSchoolPrograms #BoysClub #TrumpBudgetCuts #TrumpSucks

DoomsdaysCW Jul 15

More than 20 states sue Trump administration over frozen #AfterSchoolCare, #SummerPrograms and more.

Some of the withheld money funds after-school and summer programming at Boys & Girls Clubs, the #YMCA or #PublicSchools, attended by 1.4 million children and teenagers nationwide

By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS
Updated 5:12 PM EDT, July 14, 2025

Excerpt: "At the East Providence summer camp, Aiden, a rising third grader, played tag, built structures with magnetic tiles, played a fast-paced game with the other kids to review addition and subtraction, learned about pollination, watched a nature video and ate club-provided chicken nuggets.

"Veteran teachers from his school corrected him when he spoke without raising his hand and offered common-sense advice when a boy in his group said something inappropriate.

" 'When someone says something inappropriate, you don’t repeat it,' teacher Kayla Creighton told the boys between answering their questions about horseflies and honeybees.

"Indeed, it’s hard to find a more middle-of-the road organization in this country than the Boys & Girls Club.

"Just last month, a Republican and a Democrat sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House celebrating the 165-year-old organization as a 'beacon of hope and opportunity.' The Defense Department awarded the club $3 million in 1991 to support children left behind when their parents deployed for the Persian Gulf. And ever since, the Boys & Girls Club has created clubs on military installations to support the children of service members. Military families can sign up their kids for free.

[...]

"Aiden’s mother has started looking into afternoon child care for September when kids return to school in Rhode Island.

" 'It costs $220 a week,' Reyes said, her eyes expanding. 'I can’t afford that.'

"The single mother and state worker said she’ll probably ask her 14-year-old son to stay home and watch Aiden. That will mean he would have to forgo getting a job when he turns 15 in the fall and couldn’t play basketball and football.

" 'I don’t have any other option,' she said.

"At home, Aiden would likely stay inside on a screen. That would be heartbreaking since he’s thrived getting tutoring and 'learning about healthy boundaries' from the Boys & Girls Club program, Reyes said."

#TechAddiction #NatureBasedLearning #Tutoring #AfterSchoolPrograms #SummerPrograms #Learning #BoysClub #GirlsClub #USPol #TrumpHatesThePoor #TrumpHatesChildren #TrumpSucks #BigUglyBill #BigUglyDespot!

Trump education grant freeze threatening after-school care prompts lawsuit

More than 20 states have sued President Donald Trump’s administration over billions of dollars in frozen funding for after-school care, summer programs and more. Programs for more than 1 million students are at risk because of a Trump administration freeze on education grants. Congress set aside money for the programs at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA and public schools to provide academic support, enrichment and child care. But Trump's administration says it wants to make sure recipients’ programs align with the Republican president’s priorities. The lawsuit was filed Monday. The lawsuit is led by California and alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws.

AP News