February 11, 2021

Wyden To Senate Leadership: We Must Fund Summer Enrichment Opportunities For Low-Income Children In Next Covid-19 Relief Package

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden is urging Senate leadership to include funding for summer enrichment opportunities for low-income children in the next COVID-19 relief package. 

“Due to COVID-19, millions of students have been learning remotely and missing out on extracurricular activities, sports, and summer camp in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines necessary to stem the spread of COVID-19. This interruption will result in academic achievement loss and potentially delay children’s social and emotional development as they lose classroom time and opportunities to spend with peers,” Wyden and 12 Senate colleagues wrote. “This is particularly true for low-income students. It is vital that Congress provide dedicated funding to ensure these students have access to high-quality summer enrichment opportunities.”

In a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the senators stressed that Congress include dedicated funding in the next COVID-19 relief package to support local educational agencies, community-based organizations, municipalities, or any consortium of the three to provide quality summer enrichment programs and meet additional staff needs for new programming. This would provide support for meaningful summer programming that supports children’s academic, mental and physical health, and social emotional needs.

Wyden was joined by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. and Tim Kaine, D-Va. 

A full copy of the letter can be found here.