CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A non-profit organization that assists children and families in need across the Mountain State is seeking to get the $500,000 dollars in state funding back after that funding was left out of the budget this year.

Save The Children was at the state capitol Monday advocating for the program and the work they do across all 55 counties, and talking to lawmakers, who are currently there for the 60-day regular legislative session, as to why they need this funding.

West Virginia’s Director of STC Cathryn Miller said on MetroNews ‘Talkline’ Monday that the organization has been receiving $500,000 through state appropriations since its inception in West Virginia in 2010.

She said they were left out of the state budget last year due to the “clawback” concern and were told that the legislature would revisit the funding in a special session, but that never happened.

“We were seeking to be put back in through some supplemental funds, however, that didn’t happen, and so this year, we’re not listed as a line item because of that,” Miller said.

Miller said the organization delivers early-childhood home visit programs, in-school and after school math and literacy programs, summer enrichment programs, nutrition support and other resources to vulnerable, under-resourced children and families across rural West Virginia.

She said last year, STC served over 42,000 children across all 55 counties.

Miller said if they don’t receive this funding from the state, it could have a serious impact on the programs, and the children and families they serve.

“We could be looking at unfortunately having to close some and not be able to serve as many children that we do across the state, which is certainly not what we want and it’s not what anyone wants to see happen,” she said.

In addition, the organization employs 160 West Virginians, most of whom live in rural communities that have limited employment opportunities.

Miller said they have much data to support the benefits that these STC programs have on kids.

She said one such statistic highlights the strong effect the program is having for children’s’ reading and literacy skills.

“Last year, 90-percent of three year old’s that went through our program had a vocabulary development score that was at or above the normal range,” she said.

Additionally, Miller said 72% of children that went through their literacy program, and 76% that went through their math program proved to have high growth rates throughout the academic year, meaning that they moved toward grade-level proficiency, and in some cases, passed grade-level proficiency.

She said they know that schools across West Virginia are already doing a lot to support their children as well as they can. Miller said, in turn, they are trying their best to support the schools.

“One value that we bring is that we provide all of the technical assistance, training and oversight for program staff so that it takes a burden off of the school district,” Miller said. “So, we are able to act as a puzzle piece throughout their very complex system and really take some of the stress off of the school district.”

Actress and entrepreneur Jennifer Garner sits on the Save the Children Board and brought the program to the state in 2010.