The Trump administration has officially ended the federal Ready To Learn grant, cutting vital funding for popular PBS children’s shows such as Sesame Street, Molly of Denali, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) confirmed the move on Tuesday, following an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at defunding NPR and PBS over alleged political bias.
The $23 million Ready To Learn grant supported a wide range of educational content focused on early childhood development and literacy. It helped create both classic and new programming, including Reading Rainbow, Lyla in the Loop, and Work It Out Wombats!. The Department of Education stated it would now prioritize programming that directly targets academic performance, rather than what it called “racial justice educational programming.”
As of Friday, the Department of Education formally notified CPB that the grant was terminated immediately. CPB then directed PBS and 44 local public media stations in 28 states and Washington, D.C., to stop all grant-supported programming by Sunday. This decision will likely disrupt children’s educational viewing in homes across the country.
CPB President Patricia Harrison expressed deep concern over the abrupt cancellation, calling it a blow to early education. She noted the program’s bipartisan backing and its widespread benefits for children, especially in underserved communities. “Public broadcasting has helped raise generations of children,” she said, urging collaboration with Congress to save the initiative.
PBS is not backing down quietly. Its CEO Paula Kreger strongly criticized the order, labeling it “blatantly unlawful.” She confirmed PBS would pursue all legal and legislative measures to reinstate funding and continue delivering educational content to American families.
The move has already sparked national debate, with parents, educators, and lawmakers weighing in. While the administration argues the funding shift is needed to focus on academics, critics say it undermines trusted resources that support millions of children’s learning and development.