KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A pause in after-school funding is threatening dozens of children in the state, and the YMCA of East Tennessee is raising concerns about the sudden pause in federal money.
According to a release from the organization, it was said that funding for the program was being paused “indefinitely,” despite being previously approved in the federal budget. YMCA of East Tennessee said that because of the lack of funding, 149 children could lose funding for afterschool care.
Brooke Williams, the mother who started her six-year-old daughter Mila in the program at Spring Hill Elementary last school year, said she’s anxious for the program to reopen. She said her experience with other childcare programs has been a maze of waiting lists, fees and incompatible scheduling…