House committee rejects $0 plan, keeps 21st CCLC funded at $1.329 billion for FY2027
There's real news for families who depend on afterschool programs. On June 9, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill by a vote of 34 to 28 — and it keeps the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program funded at $1.329 billion, the same level as FY2026.
That matters because of what it rejects. In April, the White House [proposed eliminating 21st CCLC entirely](/blog/fy2027-budget-proposes-zero-for-afterschool/) — a $0 line item — and folding 17 education programs into a single block grant cut by 69%. The House bill says no: 21st CCLC stays a dedicated program at its current funding level. The program supports before-school, afterschool, and summer learning for nearly 1.4 million students nationwide.
What level funding actually means
Level is not the same as whole. Advocates and a bipartisan group on Capitol Hill had asked for $2.09 billion to keep pace with rising costs and unmet demand, so $1.329 billion means programs will be stretched to serve the same number of students. And the broader bill contains cuts that touch afterschool indirectly: Title I grants to school districts — which many districts use to fund afterschool and summer learning — would drop by $1.9 billion to $16.5 billion, and Full-Service Community Schools funding ($150 million last year) would be eliminated.
There were bright spots in the committee's report language too: it urges the Department of Education to support state summer reading programs for K–6 students in underserved areas, to prioritize 21st CCLC applicants that make programs accessible to students with disabilities, and to support afterschool STEM in rural and low-income communities.
What happens next
This is one step, not the finish line. The Senate is expected to take up its own FY27 education spending bill in July, and the two chambers will have to negotiate a final version before the fiscal year begins October 1, 2026. Funding in this bill would support programs in summer 2027 and the 2027–2028 school year.
For families, the practical takeaway: the federally funded programs in your community — the ones that are free or low-cost because of 21st CCLC — are positioned to continue. If you've been holding off on looking, don't.
Find a program near you
- Browse free and low-cost programs in our [state-by-state directory](/).
- New to 21st CCLC? Here's [what the funding pays for and who qualifies](/guides/understanding-21st-cclc-funding/).
- Watching costs? See [how to find a free afterschool program](/guides/free-after-school-programs-how-to-find-one/).
And whatever happens in Washington, learning at home doesn't need an appropriations bill. Resource Portal AI generates free, standards-aligned lessons and practice for whatever your child is working on — start at our [Academics hub](/academics/) or [homework help](/homework-help/).
Every figure above comes from the linked primary sources. We don't estimate funding numbers.