THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — More than 300 children are losing access to meals, care, and structure as the Thomasville Community Resource Center ends its summer program three weeks early. A federal funding hold is the reason.
- TCRC was notified of the freeze just one day before federal funds were expected to be released.
- The center relies on federal grants for 81% of its budget, putting all year-round programs at risk.
- Families are now scrambling for childcare, and staff are losing up to two weeks of pay.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Over 300 kids will lose access to meals, support, and structure this summer because of a funding delay at the federal level.
I'm taking a closer look at what this means for working parents who now have to choose between staying home or going to work.
On June 30, the Thomasville Community Resource Center got a national alert.
Federal grant money they rely on was suddenly frozen just one day before they were supposed to draw funds on July 1.
TCRC gets 81% of its budget from federal grants, so when the U.S. Department of Education put a hold on funding, the impact was immediate
And that means:
"Now we're having to limit our programs and end our summer program early because of the financial strain that these reimbursements have on this organization," said Don Simmons, Interim Executive Director at the center.
The early shutdown cuts three full weeks off their summer program.
That's hundreds of kids across Thomas and Grady counties who now have nowhere to go.
The freeze also affects their year-round services, including the after-school program and their Pre-K class.
Don Simmons, the Executive Director, tells me the hardest part was breaking the news to the staff.
"You're talking about staff that this is their only paycheck, that this is the only funding that they get from an organization like ours," said Simmons.
This hit parents hard as well.
"Well, this program is important for me because I'm trying to work, I'm trying to go to school full-time. And so this program has been a vital source to not only me but to single moms because it helps us to be able to work and go to school and make ends meet," said Engram.
Keirra Engram is a full-time nursing student, a full-time worker, and a single mom of two girls.
With the center closing early, she's scrambling to find something safe, something structured, something her daughters are familiar with.
"Plans were to enroll her back in August when school starts back. So now, like, we only have three to four weeks to make an ultimatum of what's going to replace that if they take this away. And that's going to mess a lot of us parents up because we're so used to, you know, having this safe spot for our kids because this is not their first time these kids been here," said Engram.
Simmons tells me the center has now launched a capital campaign to raise emergency support to keep doors open and staff paid
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