One of the harsh realities for 2025 was the impact of funding cuts for children and youth programs, particularly for kids who have had significant life struggles. Funding for school programs, youth-oriented grants, training funding, mental health funding and other basic funding has either been eliminated or substantially reduced. The non-profit community has felt this impact and what already was inadequate funding has reached a crisis level of concern. In other words, valuable programs to help our future generations may cease to exist if we do not see significant changes in our funding priorities.
Let’s not kid ourselves, the current mental health crisis affects academic performance and emotional stability. Economic stress impacts family stability. Exposure to trauma influences behavior, learning and long-term health. Addressing youth problems requires coordinated, well-funded responses that recognize the whole child, not just one aspect of their life.
Hope and wishes are not enough. Real change happens when funding aligns with need. Increased investment in youth-focused programs allows communities to:
- Expand access to mental health and counseling services
- Support trauma-informed schools and youth organizations
- Strengthen after-school, mentoring and enrichment programs
- Address basic needs like food insecurity, housing instability and health care
- Invest in prevention rather than crisis response
When funding is adequate and consistent, programs can move beyond short-term fixes and focus on long-term outcomes. Our kids thrive when adults have the tools, training and time to build relationships and provide meaningful support.
Wouldn’t it be great if our policymakers could reimagine how we value our youth? Our society needs to listen to their voices, understand their needs and provide meaningful relationships that could bring both healing and hope.
A hopeful vision for 2026 includes schools with embedded mental health supports, community organizations that are fully staffed and sustainable, and systems that work together rather than in silos. We should be posing the question, “What will it take for our youth to truly succeed?”
This kind of hope that is reflected in increased funding is ultimately hope for our collective future. When we invest in young people, we invest in innovation, leadership and community well-being. The question before us is not whether we can afford to fund youth programs, but rather can we afford not to?
Let it be the commitment of all of us to be engaged in this discussion and to advocate with all of our respective power to support the future of our youth, which is the future of our nation. This should be one of our foremost 2026 resolutions.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
