On July 14 the Millcreek City Council heard testimony from members of the community seeking funding for after-school programs.

It has been repeatedly proven that after-school programs benefit youth of all backgrounds. This programming has been proven to decrease the number of youth implicated in the criminal justice system, as after school hours can function as unsupervised time for vulnerable youth. Despite this, after-school programs struggle for funding and rely heavily on volunteers to support the volume of families seeking participation. 

Despite increasing demands, this year the Trump Administration has made cuts to federal funding for after-school programs. Currently, the status of critical funding remains unstable, and educators are having to take action now ahead of the upcoming school year. 

"Funding has been cut through the Department of Health and Human Services, and now there's currently a pause on 21st century funding through the Department of Education," Promise Program Manager Kayla Mayers said. As a result, programs in Millcreek and surrounding areas are at risk of being unable to meet the needs of the community.

Peter Frost is the Director of Refugee Services at the Asian Association of Utah. Frost has been working since 2012 to develop after-school programs with the association. He attended the council meeting to seek funding to sustain these programs. He detailed a long-term vision where students would have access to after-school programs at all levels of public education, facilitating a seamless transition through the school years. Frost emphasized that these programs prevent deviant behavior and encourage positive behaviors in students, and Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini concurred. Silvestrini added that the After School Alliance has found that participants in these programs are less likely to skip class and use drugs. 

Frost emphasized that after-school programs sponsored by the AAOU are designed to be inclusive for students of all backgrounds, and program capacity is dependent on the amount of funding they can raise. There are currently seven locations for after-school programs funded by the AAOU, and for the 2025-2026 school year their goal is to serve 200 students across all sites. Frost requested $109,426.10 to fund two full-time staff positions. 

In addition to Frost, Moss Elementary School Principal Lindsay Adams spoke to the council about how funding these positions is a community investment. Adams explained that the loss of the 21st Century Grant resulted in a $100,000 decrease in funding for their after-school program, which is in extremely high demand. Providing young people with the resources to succeed also benefits greater society, as many students participating in these programs lack resources outside of school. Moss Elementary is a Federal Title 1 School where 70% of attending students qualify for free lunch. Adams listed a wide variety of enrichment opportunities available to students at these programs, ranging from small group math tutoring to Lego League, all designed to provide structure and safety for students who need it the most, but that funding directly impacts the number of students who can partake in these programs.

While Silvestrini seemed to agree that these programs were beneficial to all students, he asked Frost about the potential consequences of providing just one year of funding and none further. Frost responded by saying the AAOU is continuing to pursue alternative funding sources and would adjust accordingly if the situation were to arise. He said the AAOU is continuing to look for other funding resources, but that the council funding these staff positions would be of great support during this uncertain time. The mayor said that a "rainy day fund" in the budget allocated money for unexpected situations worthy of monetary funds, and he said funding these after-school programs seemed to be a good use for it.

Present council members Silvia Catten, Thom DeSirant and Cheri Jackson agreed with the mayor that funding these positions would be a good use of funds, but a budget amendment via a public hearing process would be needed first. This money is available and would alleviate some of the financial strain on these programs and would function as an investment in the community that benefits everyone in the long run.