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Parents left scrambling for childcare after two summer camps abruptly shut as Trump withholds $6B in funding

Parents left scrambling for childcare after two summer camps abruptly shut as Trump withholds $6B in funding

Daily Mail​09-07-2025
Hundreds of families have been left scrambling to sort childcare after two New Orleans summer camps closed abruptly.
The camps, run by the nonprofit Asher Institute NOLA, closed on July 1 after the group said it did not receive expected funding from the city government.
The programs — The Hangout NOLA and one held at Bricolage Academy — served children from across the city, offering full-day care and meals at no cost.
The closure caught parents and staff off guard, and they questioned why the camps were set in motion without sufficient funding. Many families rely on such programs for summer childcare while they work.
'I was like, so this is real? They are really closing camp?' LaKee Moss, whose son attended The Hangout, told local station WDSU. 'It was unexpected. It was disappointing. It was shocking.'
Moss said the camp provided not only childcare while she worked, easing the financial burden during the summer months.
'This is going to make me emotional,' Moss added. 'But just to have not had to find a babysitter. To not have had to worry about where he was while I'm at work.'
The Trump administration recently announced it was withholding over $6 billion in federal grants intended for after-school and summer education programs next year, including English language classes and camps.
That funding is under review to determine whether it aligns with the administration's policy priorities, CBS News reported.
The camps were led by Lee Anderson, chair of the Asher Institute and stepfather of New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson.
Anderson told parents that the organization had been promised public funds to operate the camps but that the money never arrived.
'There has been a lot of stuff going on with the City Council,' Anderson said on July 1.
'They gave support. We actually thought by now we would have been able to fully fund the programs.'
However, members of the New Orleans City Council said they were unaware of any formal funding commitment, according to NOLA.com.
Several camp employees say they are still owed wages. Instructor Angell Love told WDSU she received her last pay stub but no paycheck.
'What do we do?' she said. 'We want to keep our families here. But we need money to run the space.'
The Trump administration is holding back more than $6 billion in federal grants for after-school programs
'People have livelihoods. I'm an instructor. This is my only pay for the summer.'
Raynard Bender, the CEO of The Hangout NOLA, said the issue came down to undelivered funds.
'There were promises that were made, and unfortunately, those promises weren't kept. I honestly don't feel like it was in any kind of malice.'
Lee Anderson and the Asher Institute said 'I am sorry about the situation at hand right now.'
Adding that all staff should 'receive pay by Wednesday.'
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