King County Axes 4-H Funding

King County can no longer afford to support 4-H, setting the nonprofit youth program scrambling to try to find funding for the 10,000 kids that participate in the organization, according to an editorial in the Enumclaw Courier Harold published erlier this month.

As of Sept. 30, kids across King County will be without their local 4-H programs. The county allotted $100,000 from its 2010 budget to support 4-H programs, cut the allowance to $50,000 last year, and slashed 100 percent of the 4-H program funding in the 2012 busget, according to the editorial. Funding will ended on Jan. 30. Washington State University’s Extension Program, which oversees 4-H programs in the state, will provide funding until the fall, partially using reserves from last year’s county contribution.

4-H (the "Hs" stand for “Head, Heart, Hands and Health”) is a diverse program that offers clubs that range from raising sheep to farming and photography to robotics. Historically, 4-H is the largest youth development organization in the nation.