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MULBERRY, Fla. — The future of Boys & Girls Club programs could be in jeopardy as locations across the country face major funding cuts.
The Trump administration recently paused more than $6 billion in federal grants, including money for after-school and summer programs. The federal funding for 2025 was initially withheld from states as part of a review to ensure spending aligned with the White House’s priorities.
After public pushback, the Trump administration decided to release the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants last Friday. The remaining withheld funding — close to $5 billion — is still under review for bias by the Office of Management and Budget.
Leaders and staff with the Boys & Girls Club say it is unlikely the funding will be released again, potentially costing the children they serve.
Twelve-year-old Jermaine Franklin has spent the last four summers at the Boys & Girls Club in Mulberry. Ask his friends what they love most about it, and the answer is simple.
“It’s so much fun,” several children said.
But for Franklin, it’s more than just fun — it’s everything.
“I like the people here, I like the staff, I like the food, I like basically everything here,” he said. “I like playing in the gym with my friends and then my friend right here — he’s just too much fun to play with.”
Much of what Franklin enjoys is made possible by the Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.
Since 2011, Steve Giordano, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County, says the grants have provided roughly $10 million for enrichment and academic programming.
“It just enhances the services that we have to provide after school and summer camp for kids,” Giordano said. “And once they get with us, we make sure they got a great meal, good exercise, and academic improvement specialists like tutors and teachers.”
Seven out of 10 Polk County locations — serving more than 600 children — rely on 21st Century grants. With the possibility of losing federal funding next year, Giordano says some clubs across the country could be at risk of closing. As for the Polk County locations, he says they’re already thinking of new ways to keep going.
“Polk County is an extraordinarily philanthropic community, and Polk County steps up and takes care of its own, and we expect that that will happen. And we’re going to redouble our efforts going out and getting these funds because we made a commitment to the board, we’ve made a commitment to the community that regardless of what happens with 21st Century, we’re going to grow,” Giordano said.
This brings comfort to children like Jermaine, who never want to see the organization go.
“Because I love this place way too much,” he said.
Along with searching for more funding, the organization says they’ll also look to recruit more volunteers to fill in the gaps.
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Alexis Jones
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