DOE Cuts Funding For PBS Children's Programming

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has announced the Department of Education terminated the Ready To Learn grant program, a federal initiative that supported the development of children’s educational television shows and digital content. 

This decision resulted in a loss of $23 million that would have funded programming and educational games for children, impacting PBS and 44 public media stations nationwide.

The Ready To Learn grant, authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, has been awarded every five years since 1995 to CPB and PBS. It historically funded iconic children’s shows like Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and more recent programs like Molly of Denali, Work It Out Wombats!, and Lyla in the Loop. The 2020-2025 grant cycle, which was set to expire on September 30, 2025, provided $105 million over five years to support educational content creation and local station outreach.

The Department of Education, under the Trump administration, justified the cancellation by claiming the grants funded “racial justice educational programming” and “divisive ideologies and woke propaganda.” 

A spokesperson, Madi Biedermann, stated that the department would prioritize funding for “meaningful learning and improving student outcomes.” This aligns with a broader White House executive order issued the previous week, directing federal agencies to cease funding to NPR and PBS, citing concerns over biased media content.

CPB and PBS expressed strong opposition, emphasizing the program’s 30-year bipartisan support and proven educational value. CPB President Patricia Harrison stated intentions to work with Congress and the administration to preserve funding, noting that “nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting’s children’s content.” PBS Kids’ Sara DeWitt highlighted the “profound impact” on families, particularly in underserved communities. The CPB also challenged the executive order’s legality, arguing that Congress established CPB as a private nonprofit to insulate it from federal control, and only Congress can alter its funding