Milwaukee after-school programs, including those at H.W. Longfellow School’s Community Learning Center, are struggling to continue exposing students to art and culture due to the loss of thousands of dollars in stabilization payments.
Child Care Bridge Payments Program Ends
The Wisconsin Legislature had budgeted for a year of Child Care Bridge payments, which ended last month. Journey House, a South Side nonprofit, received over $6,300 from the state in 2026 to support the Longfellow Community Learning Center. About 90 MPS-based before- and after-school programs collectively received $1.2 million in 2025.
The loss of stabilization payments will affect thousands of 4- to 12-year-olds and their families. Many of the providers who received state and federal stabilization payments were early-childhood centers serving infants and toddlers.
Randy Neve, lead of the Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance, estimates more than 500 before- and after-school programs serving school-aged children statewide are losing monthly stabilization payments. The alliance is working with other organizations to advocate for greater funding for before- and after-school programs.
Original reporting: Wisconsin Watch — read the source article.
