Marysville After-School Program In Peril After Grant Funding Dries Up
MARYSVILLE (CBS13) — An after-school program Marysville students have relied on for years is facing an uncertain financial future as parents may soon be required to pay a fee.
The after-school program at the Allyn Scott Youth and Community Services Center serves about 100 students in Yuba and Sutter counties. But this year, it's operating without two critical community service block grants that program coordinator Martha Duran has turned to since 2010.
"Friday Night Live was awarded the funding because they have a broader range of services for low income students," she said.
She says they were concerned whether the program had the numbers of students to get the grants. Duran says 57 out of 94 students are eligible.
The program is something parents say they rely on heavily, since they have to work until 5 or 6 p.m. Starting Feb. 1, they'll have to start paying $5 a month per student per day.
The lack of funding puts pressure on parents like Houa Yang. With three children in the program, she's now adjusting the family budget to include their $5 visit, three stays each week.
"My kids don't have anywhere else to go; I don't have the time to get off work at 2:30 p.m., pick them up and go to work," she said. "That's more than my 15 minute break time. So, I don't have a choice. I'm going to have to."
Since seventh grade, her daughter Michelle Yang has been coming for everything from tutoring to cooking classes. She's now an assistant in the program.
Now, the focus is on finding other grant applications and community fundraising to help ease the budget crunch.
"We're not going away," Duran said. "The can tell me no as many times as they want but I'm going to keep asking."
