Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage is spending $1.7 million of federal welfare dollars on after-school programs.
The Bangor Daily News reports over a dozen nonprofit organizations received funding this year from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grant.
Since 2015, Maine’s asked such after-school programs to show how they help prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancies and encourage two-parent families. Such goals are outlined under federal law, which lets states use welfare grants with few restrictions.
More than 80 percent of the funds were awarded without using a competitive bidding process. The Department of Health and Human Services says it’s part of a push to fund programs outside of southern Maine.
The number of Maine families with children receiving cash assistance has fallen from nearly 12,800 in 2012 to 4,200 in December.
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