LCO Leaders Urge State to Preserve TANF Funding

By Joe Morey &

Jennifer Cadotte

LCO PR & News

The Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee held a public listening session at the Hayward High School Auditorium on Monday, April 28, to gather public input on the upcoming state budget. Running from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the session drew community members from across the region, including two prominent leaders from the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) community who spoke passionately about protecting funding for youth programs.

LCO Ojibwe Schools Superintendent Jessica Hutchison and Boys & Girls Club of Lac Courte Oreilles Chief Executive Officer Melinda McKevett-Isham both made strong appeals to lawmakers, urging them not to reduce funding for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which supports essential after-school programs across Wisconsin.

“Hello, my name is Melinda McKevett-Isham, and I am the Boys and Girls Club Chief Executive Officer of Lac Courte Oreilles,” McKevett-Isham told the committee. “The Club is my home. My Club journey started as a Club kid, turned into a youth staff, cook, volunteer while my husband was in basic training, talked my husband into moving home and 6 years later I became the Program Director, quickly turned into the Unit Director and 6 short months after that became the CEO.”

She called on lawmakers to continue TANF funding at $7.3 million annually—the same level allocated for fiscal year 2023-2024—citing the success of programs such as Be Great, Graduate and Wisconsin After 3. “Within these programs are Power Hour, Brain Gain, DIY STEM, NBA Math Hoops, and Career Launch that provide our youth with help improving their reading & writing skills, science, math, engineering, and technology skills,” she said.

McKevett-Isham emphasized the programs’ broader community impact. “Our trained professionals focus on increasing academic achievement, school engagement, and career readiness while reducing juvenile crime and helping keep our youth off drugs, like opioids. We help build self-confidence in our members and show them that their voice matters.”

She added, “We also provide tens of thousands of parents/guardians the ability to continue to work while their kids are safe after school between the hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Boys and Girls Clubs are the largest provider of youth services, with 203 sites across 77 communities, serving over 125,800 youth in Wisconsin. Locally, serving 459 youth in the last fiscal year 2023-2024. On average, serving 70 youth members daily.”

Jessica Hutchison echoed these concerns in her remarks, drawing on her roles as superintendent, board vice president, and parent. “Boozhoo. My name is Jessica Hutchison & I am here representing the Boys and Girls Club of Lac Courte Oreilles as the Vice President of the Board of Directors. I am also the superintendent of the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School, a longtime partner of the Club, as it is widely known throughout the community. I am also the proud parent of two kids that were once Club members.”

She highlighted the Club’s near 30-year legacy and its pioneering role as one of the first Native Boys & Girls Clubs in the nation. “Last year we reached nearly 500 Club members, with an average daily attendance of 70 children aged 6–18,” she noted.

Hutchison described the Club’s role as more than just a gathering place. “Each week night of the school year, and every week day of the summer, the Club provides an engaging, exciting & safe place for kids, with physical activity & games, opportunities to learn and practice Ojibwe cultural traditions, academic support & enrichment, & 1–2 meals for kids not just from LCO, but also the greater Hayward community.”

She underscored the far-reaching impact of TANF support. “The benefit of increased TANF funding will be felt not just by the Club members themselves through programs like B Great, Graduate and Wisconsin After 3, but by the hundreds of working families who can be assured that they have a low-cost, safe & engaging environment for their kids.”

“The truth is, a vibrant & thriving Boys and Girls Club of Lac Courte Oreilles is good for the health, wellness & public safety of Sawyer County,” Hutchison added. “Money spent supporting kids is never a bad investment. I ask that the 7.3-million-dollar TANF allocation from 2023–2024 be continued and in the next budget appropriation.”

As state lawmakers begin shaping the next biennial budget, the message from Hayward was clear: investing in youth means investing in Wisconsin’s future.