A new bill would put $10 billion a year into afterschool — here's what it says
While one budget proposal would eliminate dedicated federal afterschool funding, a separate bill in Congress would expand it dramatically. In May 2026, Representatives Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), joined by nine co-sponsors, introduced the Afterschool for All Act (H.R. 8654). It's worth knowing what's actually in it.
What the bill proposes
The Afterschool for All Act would authorize $10 billion a year for 10 years for after-school and summer learning programming. It does this by reauthorizing the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program — the only federal funding stream dedicated exclusively to before-school, after-school, and summer learning — and increasing its funding roughly tenfold.
According to the sponsors, that expansion is sized to reach every low-income K-12 student who needs a seat — more than 10 million students nationwide. The bill specifies that the new funding would be paid for by a 1% increase in the corporate income tax rate, so the expansion is offset rather than added to the deficit.
The stated goal is straightforward: keep kids safe and supported in the hours after school, let working parents stay in their jobs, and support the broader economy that depends on reliable care.
Why this matters for families
The case for the bill rests on a gap that's already well documented. Across the country, far more families want an afterschool program than can find one — in most states the number of children who would be enrolled if a program were available runs into the hundreds of thousands. A tenfold funding increase is aimed squarely at that waitlist.
It's important to be clear about where things stand: H.R. 8654 is introduced legislation, not law. It would need to pass the House and Senate and be signed before any of this funding reaches a single program. We're flagging it because it's a real, specific proposal — with a dollar figure, a funding mechanism, and a sponsor list — not because the outcome is decided.
For context on the other direction the debate is moving, see our breakdown of [the FY2027 budget proposal that would zero out 21st CCLC](/blog/fy2027-budget-proposes-zero-for-afterschool/). And if you want to understand how the program being reauthorized actually works — who qualifies and what the dollars pay for — our guide to [understanding 21st CCLC funding](/guides/understanding-21st-cclc-funding/) walks through it.
What you can do right now
Legislation moves slowly, and the after-school hours don't wait. Whatever happens in Washington, you can still find what exists near you today on our [state directories](/states), and you can bridge the gap at home.
Our [academics hub](/academics/) and [homework help](/homework-help/) pages offer free, standards-aligned enrichment your child can start this week — no waitlist required. When you want structured, personalized support that adapts to your child, Resource Portal AI builds learning plans around exactly where they are. It's the simplest way to keep momentum going while the bigger funding questions get sorted out.
Every figure above comes from the primary sources linked below — the sponsors' own press releases, the Afterschool Alliance, and the bill text. We don't estimate funding numbers.