Related Information:
Congressional Research Service Reports
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Background and Funding
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I am a strong supporter of after-school programs because they have a proven track record for providing our youth with a positive, structured environment. After-school programs build and reinforce qualities that stay with an individual into adulthood. These programs ultimately also contribute to our overall crime fighting efforts and deserve to be well funded. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have worked to secure funding for a number of successful programs, including:
- Families & Schools Together (FAST) Prevention Program. FAST, a nationally recognized and acclaimed Wisconsin-based program, identifies at-risk children in schools and brings their families together in a multi-family setting to strengthen parent-child relationships and receive the necessary peer support and professional counseling. FAST is an award-winning program for prevention of juvenile delinquency, violence, substance abuse, and school failure. Recently, FAST created a state-of-the-art quality assurance model that will assist future implementations of the program nationally. In the most recent budget bill, I secured $750,000 for this award-winning intiative in Wisconsin.
- Safe & Sound. Established by the City of Milwaukee four years ago, Safe & Sound combines aggressive law enforcement, community organizing, and the establishment of safe places for children to go during non-school hours in Milwaukee's higher crime areas. According to a recent study, in the last year alone, violent crime dropped 47 percent in Safe & Sound neighborhoods.
- The Boys & Girls Club of America. Congressional funding has been the driving force for B&GCA;'s dramatic growth over the past five years. Every congressional dollar has been matched by private funds, and often that match is as high as three to one. The funding we have secured has helped to create new clubs -- often in the nation's most distressed communities -- and reach more children across the nation.
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers. This program supports rural and inner-city public elementary and secondary schools to implement or expand projects that benefit the educational, health, social service, cultural and recreational needs of the community. The 21st Century grantees in Wisconsin and across the nation have been successful in supporting safer learning environments, reducing juvenile crime, and helping to bridge the digital divide. This program has worked well, and deserves to be properly funded.
