CHICAGO, Ill. (WAND) — Nonprofit ACT Now Illinois received $94 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education in 2024. But nearly two years into the grant agreement, the Department of Education cut the funding.
"This is affecting 19,000 kids throughout the state. This is not just one small grant program," ACT Now Executive Director Susan Stanton said.
A lawsuit filed by ACT Now alleges the Department of Education did not follow proper procedures when it canceled the grants. Now, the fate of multiple after-school programs and jobs is in the hands of a judge.
Stanton said the grants funded services that serve as lifelines for dozens of families across the state.
"That might be nutrition services, access to food for them and their families, mental health counseling, physical health resources, access to things like mobile clinics, as well as before- and after-school programs, summer programs and tutoring," Stanton said.
The funding cuts also affect summer programs, which Stanton said help keep kids safe.
"Unfortunately, we're right in the middle of the summer, when crime rates spike and students are more likely to become victims of crime," Stanton said.
Mary Miller is an educator and mother of two sixth-grade students enrolled in ACT Now programs. She is urging policymakers to retain funding for ACT Now services.
"Please focus on supporting our students. They're our most important investment in the future. As an educator and as a mom, that's where our priorities should be, first and foremost, in every decision," Miller said.
If the court does not restore funding while the lawsuit proceeds, services at dozens of schools could shut down by July 1.
More information is available online.Â
Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
