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“When these little kids have to go home to no one, what do you expect them to do? Fend for themselves? Of course, these are 7- and 8-year-old kids, and they’re going home to a meal not being on the table, to a parent not being home. The door might even not be unlocked.�

Without the PAAC afterschool program at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Charleston, Alicia Smith, who already works three jobs to support her 10-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter, would have to pay more out of pocket for child care and transportation to ensure her children make it home safe and are fed.

“That’s going to increase my day care bill. I’m pinching pennies just to make sure that bill is covered,� she said. “I’m the only one in here making money in my household. It’s just me. I work a lot, but I’m probably going to have to end up working harder. That’s going to take away time from spending time with my children.�

Jerica Wesley, a counselor at Marshall University whose 9-year-old daughter, Brielle, attends the PAAC program at the Institute Church of the Nazarene in Dunbar, would not only need to make adjustments in her work life to ensure her child is taken care of, but also feels her daughter would lose an academic resource.

“She’s built and forged relationships with the students she does ballet with that was provided under PAAC, and her confidence has grown so much through reading as a result of the reinforcements that they provide,� she said. “So I would expect some regression.�

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers through PAAC are just one example of the many programs afforded in 21 counties across the state through the 21st Century federal grant funding, which President Donald Trump’s administration notified states before the July 1 release of the funds that it would be withheld.

In total, the administration announced it would withhold $6.8 billion meant for afterschool programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and other education programs. A statement from the Office of Management and Budget asserted that many of the programs have been “grossly misus[ing]� their funding “to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,� according to initial reporting by The 

According to the AP earlier this month, in an initial review, the OMB said schools used some of the money to support LGBTQ+ inclusion or illegal immigrants, and it hadn’t determined whether to release individual grants.

A request for funds

On Wednesday, 10 senators wrote to OMB Director Russell Vought asking to release the funds.

The senators reasoned that withholding the money is “contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states,� and they did not believe the funding was being used to support “radical left-wing programs.�

“These funds go to support programs that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support,� the senators wrote.

Within two days, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.,  that Vought informed her the U.S. Department of Education would release the funds. So far, no reasoning for the OMB’s decision change or a timeline for the funds’ release has been provided.

When HD Media reached out to the OMB office for confirmation, a senior administration official responded in an email, “The programmatic review is over for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grants. Funds will be released to the states. Guardrails have been put in place to ensure these funds are not used in violation of Executive Orders.�

No announcements have been made about the release of funding for the other programs. The 21st CCLC Grants constitute about $1.3 billion of the originally withheld funding,  on Friday.

Kristina Hawley, manager of the office of communications at the West Virginia Department of Education, told HD Media in an email Friday it had not yet received an official notification about the release of the funds.

The OMB did not respond to HD Media’s questions about why the 21st Century Grant funds were released or when exactly they would be made accessible to states. It is not yet clear what the new “guardrails� will be for the funding.

Weeks of uncertainty

Over the past couple of weeks, local afterschool programs have been uncertain of their ability to provide services to families and children, including food, homework help and even training on how to be a parent.

Tonya Clark, who’s been the program director at PAAC’s 21st Century Community Learning Center in Charleston for all 23 years it’s been open, has been going back and forth on whether or not she could open her doors to students Monday when the program begins for the 2025-26 academic year.

“That was the discussion yesterday," she said Wednesday. "They felt like, well, we haven’t given the people who receive the services enough time to make other arrangements, so at least we have to start it."

PAAC would’ve had to draw on already received donations, which the Rev. James Patterson, CEO, said would last for about a month before the organization would have to find other financial resources or notify parents the program was unsustainable.

“I mean, this is about real prayer and praying that something happens between now and when that month is over,� Clark said.

A lot of stress

Jeanette Barker, executive director of Playmates Childcare Development Center Inc., in Wayne County, said Thursday 11 of its 17 afterschool programs that serve about 1,000 children a day in total were “in limbo� as its $3 million in 21st Century Grants were being withheld.

All 11 were programs through public schools, mainly in Wayne County, including the Westmoreland Teen Center.

As a result of funding being withheld, Barker estimated afterschool services for over 500 children and positions for around 55 teachers were in jeopardy.

Wayne County Schools Superintendent Todd Alexander said Thursday there was a significant chance afterschool programming at those schools would be delayed, and ultimately the school board does not have the money to fund those programs without the grants.

By midday Friday, Barker still had not received an official notification that the funds would be released, although she said, “That would be wonderful.�

“It’s definitely been very stressful. And you know, I’ve also been speaking with the superintendent if we’re going to have an alternate plan to be able to do anything at the school sites. So we’ve had to scramble to come up with some kind of plan, so it’s been very stressful,� she said.

The very last day Playmates could’ve opened its programs, which provide homework help, meals and transportation to students after school hours, would’ve been Oct. 15. But she said they usually try to open when school starts in August.

PAAC’s programs in Charleston and Dunbar had just two days left on Friday before it would need to open its doors without its $215,000 worth of funding for this year before Capito’s announcement was made.

She said she had not received an official notice that the fund would be released yet or seen any update other than Capito’s post, but she said, “As of right now, we’re moving forward. And bless her heart, thank her so much if it does come through.�

“It’s most definitely, it’s frustrating,� Clark said of not being notified if PAAC would receive the funds until just days before its programs would need to start.

“But I guess it’s expected, considering what’s going on, as far as the different things that this administration is trying to do. But of course, it’s frustrating and aggravating,� she said.

“We did our part. We flooded Sen. Capito and Sen. (Jim) Justice as far as letting them know our concerns and letting them know how important afterschool is, especially for the state of West Virginia because … there’s some areas that afterschool is all the kids have to look forward to.�

A program in Cabell County, the afterschool program at Spring Hill Elementary School, is  for 21st Century Grant funding.

Sharon Spencer, Title I math teacher and coordinator of the afterschool program, said it was waiting on $88,000 in 21st Century Grant funding. She said, although the program hasn’t always used the grant, when it started back in 2012, it was able to provide additional services and use it to pay for salaries for staff staying after school and buses to take students home.

“It’s very stressful, not knowing whether or not we’re going to be able to provide the afterschool care. We know that a lot of our parents rely on it,� Spencer said.

Already feel an impact

Spencer said, as she was still waiting for an official notice of the fund being released, although the program typically starts in August, the school had decided to put it off until after Labor Day to give them time to find out more information.

On July 14, D. Ammon Gilliam, director of the Office of ESEA, Improvement and Support in the Division of Federal Programs and Support at the WVDE, said in an email to HD Media, “The pausing of these funds has resulted in a few community-based organizations backing out of grant opportunities, citing uncertainty about funding to continue running these programs.

“The students who benefit from these programs across the state will see a decrease in opportunities to learn and experience engaging educational-related activities outside of school.�