Hundreds of Chicago youth will lose their jobs by end of year due to funding cuts
CHICAGO (CBS) — Funding cuts at two City of Chicago youth employment centers will leave hundreds of kids without jobs at the end of the year. The news comes as they prepare to start their holiday break.
The city has yet to issue an official response, and it is unclear exactly how many youth jobs are impacted. According to program organizers, hundreds of kids are currently slated to lose their jobs come New Year's Eve.
Students at Humboldt Park's Pedro Albizu Campos High School have some important jobs. They help connect families with food, utilities, and other services through the Chicago Youth Service Corps.
"I manage six families. I help them with grocery bills if they need help with rent assistance," Cristian Cruz said.
And it's not just other families that they help.
"It taught me how to be independent. I can pay my own bills," senior Tatiana Guerrero said.
"If your home is not a very good environment, it gives you something to do after school, so you don't have to be stuck in the house," junior Daija Davis said.
The students said their salaries help feed their own families. Salaries that they were just told are drying up in 2025.
Jack Wuest, Executive Director of the Alternative Schools Network, said his non-profit alone has 100 kids in the city-funded year-round program and 100 kids in the Youth Service Corps, but he estimates that more than 1500 youth jobs are losing funding.
"I think it's outrageous," Wuest said. "Either way, all the kids in these programs are being fired, laid off. Their last day is December 31."
"What am I going to do now if I don't have that money in my hands?" junior Jazzy Rivera said. "I just can't go out and get a job because I have school to manage and I have my studies to worry about."
Senior Cristian Cruz says he still has to break the news to his mom.
"What a holiday surprise," he said. "That money I used to give her for groceries came a long way, and I have to tell her the news that I can't help you no more because I'm not getting paid."
Mayor Brandon Johnson has touted his administration's commitment and year-over-year growth in youth employment, saying, "They want the opportunities."
CBS News Chicago reached out for more information on the funding gap and whether some kind of bridge funding is possible. The mayor's office said someone was looking into it, but haven't heard back.
"The mayor can say, yeah, okay, I'm going to make sure this is funded and the good programs continue to be funded Jan 1," Wuest said.
As of Friday afternoon, the mayor's office and the Department of Family and Support Services had not responded to the funding issue.