Government Spending Cuts Leave Local 4-H Clubs Struggling

4-H clubs in several states face possible closure as state and local governments reduce or eliminate spending on the nonprofit groups’ agriculture, education, and recreation programs for youths, reports the Associated Press.

Voters in central Ohio’s Morrow County will decide next month on a proposed levy to keep 4-H and other agricultural services operating. Legislators in suburban Washington County, Minn., voted to eliminate the jurisdiction’s annual $130,000 expenditure on 4-H.

In some regions, parents are mobilizing to lobby or raise funds to save 4-H programs, which serve about 6 million children nationwide. The nonprofit programs are supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with state and local governments.

(Free registration is required to view this article on the Washington Post site.)