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Thank you for your support in the FY2018 omnibus bill of local afterschool and summer learning programs that rely on federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funding to provide quality programs to more than 1.7 million young people. As Congress starts the FY2019 process, I urge you to fund 21st CCLC at $1.3 billion and reject any cuts to the program.

Support for public investment in afterschool and summer learning programs is high. The recently-released Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) Poll of Public's Attitudes Towards Public Schools found that 92 percent of Americans believe local public schools should be providing afterschool programs. A little bit of federal investment goes a long way to support afterschool learning opportunities of all kinds at the local level.

Afterschool and summer learning programs help working families by keeping kids safe and productively engaged when school is not in session – the time when youth are most at risk of losing ground. A wide range of research has found that regular participation in high-quality summer and afterschool learning programs is linked to significant gains in academics, school attendance, and work habits, as well as reductions in behavior problems among disadvantaged students. Without funding for summer and afterschool programs, students will lose out on essential learning opportunities that help them prepare for school, college, and careers.

I strongly urge you to maintain or increase funding to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative providing $1.3 billion for local school and community afterschool and summer learning programs in the FY2019 spending process and I ask that you reject the Administration’s proposal and protect this important lifeline for students, families, and communities.

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