President Bush's budget proposal includes significant cuts in afterschool funding for Georgia. This means that programs which are designed to keep children safe between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. each day could be threatened.

According to information released by Kathy Garwood, director of Crisp County's Family Connection, everyone in the community should notify their Congressmen today that they do not support the President's proposal.

"US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will be testifying before the House Appropriations Committee responsible for afterschool funding today," she said.

Georgia's Afterschool Alliance has organized a "National Call-ln" campaign for today. Congressmen who represent the Cordele Dispatch's tri-county coverage area include Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson and Representatives Sanford Bishop and Jim Marshall. Visit the Afterschool Alliance website or e-mail Korynn Schooley at kschooley@afterschoolga.org for information about getting in touch with these men.

If Congress agrees to the President's proposed cut, more than 8,300 children and youth in Georgia would lose their afterschool programs.

Numerous studies have found that afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families, but there aren't nearly enough programs to meet the need, Ms. Garwood says. "Funding for afterschool programs should be going up, not down."