ARP Webinar Series Recap: How to access ARP funds for afterschool and summer

The Afterschool Alliance hosted a webinar series to help programs understand how billions of dollars provided by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) can be used to support afterschool and summer programs. While funds go directly to education and child care agencies, programs are specifically mentioned as strategies to support students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. The series covers: advice on accessing funding via state and local education agencies; partnering with school districts; and funding available via new child care resources.

American Rescue Plan: How to Access Funds for Afterschool & Summer

This April 20 webinar featured Jodi Grant, Executive Director of Afterschool Alliance; Erik Peterson, Senior VP of Policy of the Afterschool Alliance; and Tiffany Collie-Bailey, CEO of Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta. The webinar focused on education funds -- more than $30 billion in all -- provided to state and local education agencies that can be used to support afterschool and summer programs. The funding, known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER), requires state departments of education to set aside specific funds for afterschool and summer programs, but the bulk of funding goes to local education agencies, or school districts, which may use funds to support afterschool and summer programs as part of their strategy to help students recover academically, socially, and emotionally. Programs need to implement evidence-based interventions, respond to social and emotional needs of youth, and address the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and students experiencing homelessness. Programs are encouraged to reach out to local education leaders to share what they can do to support students’ recovery. See what funding is available in your state, how funds are flowing, and access tools to help you make the case for supporting programs with this funding. Watch the full webinar on Youtube.

Powerful Partnerships: Schools and Afterschool & Summer Programs

On May 12, the Afterschool Alliance’s Jodi Grant and Dan Domenech of The Schools Superintendents Association were joined by panelists from the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, TXPOST, Val Verde Unified School District, and Prime Time Palm Beach County to provide guidance on forming effective partnerships between school districts and community-based providers of afterschool and summer programs to support students’ recovery. Presenters shared ways schools have partnered with afterschool and summer program providers to expand access to learning opportunities and create lifelines for communities. Mike McCormick, Superintendent of the Val Verde Unified School District in California highlighted the need for these partnerships and for programs and education leaders alike to reach out to one another. “We all have this goal to raise up successful students. There is a deep level of collaboration in realizing that there is room at the table for multiple community-based organizations to work in concert with schools,” he stated. Panelists continued to discuss the benefits of these partnerships in their school districts and states, and shared how learning is being expanded beyond the traditional school-day, and beyond the traditional student. The partnerships expand access to enrichment and provide whole supports for youth, but also for families and communities. See examples of partnerships local or state education agencies have created with OST programs to support learning recovery. Watch the full webinar on Youtube.

ARP: School-Age Child Care Opportunities for Afterschool and Summer

On June 3, panelists from the Afterschool Alliance, the Center for Law and Social Policy, YMCA, and Unleashing Potential gathered to discuss funding opportunities for afterschool and summer programs via support for school-age care provided in the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The plan provides close to $40 billion for child care and is dispersed to state child care agencies; funds are split between a stabilization grant program ($24 billion) and a one-time $15 billion increase for the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). The funds can expand opportunities for access to high-quality care; improve affordability for families; increase supports and training for caregivers and providers; and more adequately meet program operational needs. Research shows that children and youth who have a continuum of high-quality care from birth through school age see the highest benefits in their development. However, barriers to entry still bar families from accessing high-quality programs for their children. This includes cost, transportation, and lack of available programs. “We estimated that the cost to reach all eligible school-age children through CCDBG is between $48.4 billion and $79.6 billion, however this estimate should be viewed as a floor and not a ceiling. A floor on which to build upon existing considerations," noted Alycia Hardy, Policy Analyst for the Center for Law and Social Policy. To counter these barriers as well as barriers to operation, programs can pursue funding  opportunities through the ARP Stabilization Fund and CARES Act. Check out our School-Age Care Page and find your state's CCDF administrative agency and contact information. Watch the full webinar on Youtube.

Tapping into ARP State & Local Recovery Funds to Support Afterschool & Summer Learning

On July 7, Erik Peterson of the Afterschool Alliance facilitated a session about accessing state and local recovery funds to support and expand afterschool and summer learning opportunities. Peterson, along with panelists from the National League of Cities, Ignite Afterschool, National Association of Counties, and St. Louis Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth & Families, outlined opportunities including: the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Fund, Child Care funding, AmeriCorps funding, and discretionary state and local funding. Kari Cunnien from Ignite Afterschool shared how Minnesota’s Education Plan will tap ARP funds to support OST learning opportunities. With an investment total of $75 million using state and fiscal recovery funds, the state is allocating funds for afterschool and summer to provide academic and mental health supports, expand access to tutoring, and other education expenditures. The National League of Cities addressed questions about accessing ARP funding provided to cities to support afterschool and summer programs, and the National Association of Counties outlined steps for OST programs to coordinate with county leaders and local county boards about tapping ARP dollars provided to counties. Read more about funding available from the American Rescue Plan and see guidance from theU.S. Dept. of Treasury on state and local fiscal recovery funds. Watch the full webinar on Youtube.

To view the whole webinar series, head to our webinar library