Erie County is investing $700,000 in its 2026 Operation Primetime summer program, the county announced in a news release dated July 16, 2026. The funding, administered by the Erie County Department of Social Services’ Youth Bureau, will support 80 community providers across the county to expand supervised summer activities, academic supports, mentoring, cultural enrichment and other youth-development programming.
County officials said awards ranged from $2,500 to $10,000 per organization. The county release lists dozens of local organizations that received the maximum $10,000 award, including Peace of the City, BestSelf Behavioral Health, the Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo, Buffalo Arts and Technology Center, Family Promise of Western New York, Northwest Buffalo Community Center, Police Athletic League of Buffalo, Salvation Army, Buffalo Urban League, YWCA of Western New York and many others. Additional organizations received $5,000 or $2,500 awards.
Why it matters
Operation Primetime funds provide adult-supervised programming during the school summer recess to help keep children active and engaged, the county says. The programs are intended to prevent delinquency, increase socialization, support academic progress and provide safe supervision — benefits the county argues are especially important for working parents.
Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz is quoted in the release saying Operation Primetime is an annual investment that helps make summers better and safer for children.
The Youth Bureau issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the program and used Youth Board panel recommendations to determine contract award amounts. The county release includes a full list of award recipients and directs readers to the Erie County Department of Social Services website for more information.
