On 3/26, more than 3.2 million unique users of social media were reached through Twitter.  Among the many advocates taking to Twitter in support of afterschool that day were former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Boxer (D-CA).  Also participating were a number of organizations supportive of afterschool programs:

• After-School All-Stars
• YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association)
• 4-H
• MENTOR
• The Y of the USA
• The Child Center of New York
• The Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation
• Camp Fire

As a result of the social media campaign, hundreds of messages were sent to Congress in support of the Afterschool for America’s Children Act. And it's not too late to take action in support of afterschool—email your senators and representative today using our easy template.

A tremendous thank you to the following 60 members who have signed the House letter:

Sen. Boxer is leading a similar effort in the Senate, where 23 senators have joined her on the letter:

Afterschool advocates are also weighing in on the need for additional federal funding for afterschool programs, having sent hundred of emails to Members of Congress already this year.  There's still time to make your voice heard as well: contact Congress via email to express support for federal afterschool funding as part of the FY2015 appropriations process.

1. Contact Congress!
   
   Email your senators and representative using this easy template.
2. Tweet your support!

• On 3/26 support HR4086 & S.326 the #Afterschool for America’s Children Act because #AfterschoolWorks from #3to6 http://ow.ly/uPRP0
• Bipartisan bill S.326 supports #afterschool programs so kids are engaged, safe & inspired. #AfterschoolWorks #3to6 http://ow.ly/uPRP0
• On 3/26 support S.326, #Afterschool for America’s Children Act. Young people need opportunities to learn & grow #3to6 http://ow.ly/uPRP0
• On #3to6 Day speak up for our children: ask Congress to support the #Afterschool for America’s Children Act S.326 http://ow.ly/uPRP0
• Help close the #Opportunity Gap: from #3to6 kids need #afterschool to nourish their bodies & minds. Support S. 326 http://ow.ly/uPRP0

Light up Facebook

It's 3/26 – support S. 326, the bill that would strengthen afterschool supports for children during the hours of 3 to 6 p.m. Call or email your senators and representative and urge them to support the #Afterschool for America's Children Act in the Senate and House!  Support S. 326 and HR 4086 because young people need opportunities to learn & grow between #3to6 http://ow.ly/uPRP0

Include a graphic with your Facebook post or change your profile pic for the day!

If it became law, the Child Care Development Block Grant Act of 2013 (S. 1086) would:

• Make it easier for families to get and keep the child care assistance they need;
• Enable children to have more stable child care;
• Strengthen the overall quality of child care;
• Require comprehensive background checks for child care staff;
• Require at least yearly inspections of child care program sites to ensure the site is safe and providing developmentally appropriate activities for the children;
• Promote continuity of care;
• Provide help for homeless families looking for child care;
• Raise the health requirements of child care centers; and
• Provide orientation and professional development training for child care program staff.

The bipartisan bill—sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and co-sponsored by Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN)—would increase access to high-quality child care for children of all ages, a support that is critical for the success of children and their parents.

The Afterschool Alliance supports the legislation and its recognition of the importance of including care for school-age children up to 13 years old.  Given the research on the benefits of a continuum of care that begins with early education and extends into the school-age years of childhood, it's important to emphasize the value of quality school-age child care to achieve positive outcomes for children, including improved academic performance, work habits and study skills. Essential to the success of the reauthorization bill will be allocating adequate funding to support successful adoption of the proposed changes.

Unfortunately, the Budget Committee report relies on outdated research from more than nine years ago when discussing evidence of the program’s effectiveness. More recent research on 21^st CCLC has found positive academic, behavioral and cognitive outcomes, providing solid evidence that millions of students have benefited from 21^st CCLC in the past decade.

In the 2013 compendium "Expanding Minds and Opportunities," Heather Weiss of the Harvard Family Research Project discusses the value of the early 21^st CCLC evaluations to better understand policy goals and implementation efforts, focusing on the tremendous progress that has been made in the past 15 years. She states:

“Strategic investments in evaluation research over the past 15 years have yielded significant evidence that 21^st Century Community Learning Centers and high quality programs that serve children and youth during the non-school hours are essential for preparing young people for the future….In 15 years, the afterschool field has built substantial research and evaluation literature that is serving as a driver for more high quality programs and opportunities around the country.” 

Afterschool programs keep young people safe, improve academic performance and help working families across America. Studies have shown that quality programs give students the academic, social and career-ready skills they need to succeed. Students who regularly attend have better grades and behavior in school, better peer relations and emotional well-being, and lower incidences of drug use, violence and unintended pregnancy.  For example, research in 2011 and 2012 from Texas, Indiana and Wisconsin state education departments found that teachers report that students regularly participating in 21^st Century Community Learning Centers show improvements in homework completion, class participation, attendance, behavior in class, and reading and math achievement scores and grades.  A separate 2013 study out of University of California, Irvine’s School of Education found that regular participation in afterschool programs helped to narrow the achievement gap between high-income and low-income students in math, improved academic and behavioral outcomes, and reduced school absences. 

• Based on teacher reports of students who needed to improve academically and regularly attended a 21^st CCLC program, an evaluation of Indiana’s 21^st CCLC program found that 69 percent made improvements over the course of the school year (Center for Evaluation & Education Policy, 2012)
• Ninety-four percent of middle school students attending 21^st CCLC programs in Pinellas County, Florida, maintained or showed growth in language arts (compared to 59 percent of non-participants), 84 percent maintained or showed growth in math (compared to 62 percent of non-participants) and 85 percent maintained or showed growth in science (compared to 40 percent of non-participants). (Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, 2011)
• Wisconsin teacher-reported improvements in behavior reflect that more than half of all regular 21^st CCLC attendees improved in behaving well in class (53 percent), class participation (66 percent), being attentive in class (57 percent) and homework completion (66 percent). (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2010)

With both the Budget Committee report and the president’s budget proposal being released this week, now is the perfect time to take action. House and Senate appropriations committees are holding hearings in the coming weeks to potentially discuss this report and details of the president’s education budget request. Friends of afterschool programs can contact their Members of Congress to express support for 21^st CCLC and federal funding for afterschool programs.

Additional budget justification provides more detail on the proposal.  Note that this proposal reflects the president’s request for how funds should be allocated and does not carry the weight of law.  The Senate and House are expected to begin their FY2015 appropriations process later this month.  

The Afterschool Alliance supports 21^st CCLC funds being directed by formula to all states to in turn support high-quality afterschool, before-school and summer learning programs that focus on hands-on, engaged learning that complements and enhances but does not replicate the traditional school day.  While not mentioned in the education budget document, the Afterschool Alliance feels strongly that 21^st CCLC funding should continue to support the partnerships between schools and community-based organizations that help children improve academically, socially and behaviorally while parents are at work.  21^st CCLC currently works through competitions at the state level to ensure quality programs are funded; however changing the program as proposed by the president to a national competition will likely result in states and communities that do not have access to these important funds for afterschool and summer learning programs. Furthermore, while adding time to the school day or year has yielded positive results under particular circumstances, such programs would be better served by a separate funding stream. For more information on expanded learning, see our expanded learning resource page.

Additional Education Department funding that supports afterschool and summer includes $14.4 billion (level with FY2014) for Title I and $100 million for Promise Neighborhoods. The Successful, Safe and Healthy Students program would consolidate safe and drug free schools activities as well as school counseling and the Physical Education Program into one $214 million program. The Department of Education’s budget summary is online.

Other budget news for the afterschool community:

High School Redesign

The budget provides $150 million for a new program to redesign high schools to focus on providing students with challenging, relevant learning experiences, and reward schools that build new partnerships with colleges, employers, and other partners to enhance instruction and to help develop the knowledge and skills students need for success in today’s economy.

Race to the Top for Equity and Opportunity

The budget also proposes a new $300 million Race to the Top (RTT) grant competition that would “drive comprehensive change in how states and districts identify and close opportunity and achievement gaps,” according to the Education Department. Grants would enhance data systems to sharpen the focus on the greatest disparities and invest in strong teachers and leaders in high-need schools. Among the interventions the new RTT could fund are strategies that mitigate the effects of concentrated poverty, such as expanded learning time, access to rigorous coursework, and comprehensive student supports. An underlying goal is to measure the success of these strategies and use the results to support continuous program improvement.

National Service

Overall, the president’s budget requests $1.05 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service and its programs, which is slightly above the FY2014 enacted level. The budget funds a record 114,000 AmeriCorps members and provides new benefits to seniors who serve through AmeriCorps. This number includes an estimated 75,000 AmeriCorps state and national members (an increase of 4,000 from this year); 30,000 members who will transition from the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs; 7,800 AmeriCorps VISTA members; and 1,200 AmeriCorps NCCC members.   

Child Care Development Fund (CCDF)

The budget includes an $807 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)—up from a proposed increase of $700 million last year.  For the increase, $57 million is discretionary funding and $750 million is mandatory funding. The discretionary funds include funds available to states by formula to increase child care quality.

Community Service Block Grant (CSBG)

The budget cuts funding for CSBG by almost half, providing just $350 million for FY2015. The budget proposes to use a competition to target the funds to high-performing agencies that are most successful in meeting important community needs.

Juvenile Justice

The budget renews efforts to promote juvenile justice and prevent youth violence. The budget provides $308 million for the Department of Justice's juvenile justice programs and includes evidence-based investments to prevent youth violence, including $16 million to fund the Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiative to provide grants to replicate successful community-based interventions to control shootings and other serious gang violence, and $4 million for the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, which provides assistance for selected communities across the nation to develop and implement youth violence strategies. The budget also includes $9 million for the Juvenile Justice Realignment Incentive Grants, which, in tandem with the $28 million proposed for Juvenile Accountability Block Grants, will assist states that are pursuing evidence-based juvenile justice system alignment to foster better outcomes for young people, less costly use of incarceration and increased public safety. The proposal includes several positives, including the restoration of JABG funding, which was eliminated in the final FY2014 budget.  Further, the budget proposes $53 million for the Youth Mentoring Initiative, a cut from the $82 million appropriated in 2014.

The budget proposes a comprehensive reor­ganization of STEM education programs to increase the impact of federal investments in four areas: K-12 instruc­tion, undergraduate education, graduate fellowships, and education activities that typically take place outside the classroom—all with a focus on increasing participation and opportunities for individuals from groups histori­cally underrepresented in these fields. The new STEM Innovation program has a proposed funding level of $320 million. Further details should become available on the impact on afterschool STEM education programs funded by science mission agencies such as NASA in the proposed STEM education re-organization plans. 

Take Action!

The budget request now goes to Congress, where budget and appropriations deliberations for FY2015 are getting underway.  House and Senate appropriations committees are holding hearings in the coming weeks to hear details of the education budget request from Sec. Duncan.  Friends of afterschool programs can contact their Members of Congress to express support for 21^st CCLC and federal funding for afterschool programs.

These two large afterschool providers join the Y of the USA, who made a similar commitment and adopted the HEPA standards in 2011.  The Afterschool Alliance has been working with the Y of the USA, the National Institute for Out-of-School Time (NIOST), the Alliance for a Healthy Generation, the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) and others as part of the Healthy Out of School Time coalition in an effort to first develop and now encourage implementation of the HEPA standards in afterschool programs nationwide. Schools and community-based organizations can also get in on the excitement and adopt the HEPA standards; find tools and more information here.

Afterschool and summer learning programs present an ideal environment to encourage lifelong habits around eating healthfully and engaging in physical activity. In the United States today, more than one third of kids are overweight or obese. On any given day, up to 20 percent of American children do not consume any fruit, and up to 30 percent do not consume any vegetables. Two in 3 do not get enough daily physical activity. At the same time, nearly 15 million school-aged kids are on their own after school.

The BGCA and NRPA announcement yesterday afternoon involved a commitment to do the following over the next five years:

• BGCA will encourage 3,400 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide to join in the national effort to create healthier environments for children in out-of-school time programs.
• NRPA will encourage 2,000 park and recreation sites to join the national effort to create healthier environments for children in out-of-school-time programs.
• Each club or site will be encouraged to join the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Out-of-School Time program through the electronic submission of a Healthy Out-of-School Time Inventory, which is built upon the National AfterSchool Association Standards for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Smart Snacks in School Standards.
• Encourage clubs and sites to adopt the following standards, which are built upon the National AfterSchool Association Standards for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) and USDA Smart Snacks in School Standards and are consistent with the Boys & Girls Club Culture of Wellness Framework.

Standards:

• Food and Beverages
  • Serve a fruit or vegetable at every snack and meal.
  • Serve only foods with no artificial trans fats.
  • Serve only whole grain-rich products.
  • Serve only non-fat or reduced fat yogurt and cheese.
  • Serve only lean meat, skinless poultry, seafood, beans/legumes or eggs.
  • Serve only packaged snacks or frozen desserts that meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards for foods.
  • Provide plain potable water at all times at no cost to youth and staff.
  • Serve only water; plain low-fat milk, plain or flavored nonfat milk or milk alternative; 100% fruit or vegetable juice with no added sweeteners or 100% juice diluted with water with no added sweeteners.
• Physical Activity
  • Dedicate at least 20% or at least 30 minutes of morning or afterschool program time to physical activity and at least 60 minutes for a full day program.
  • Provide physical activities in which youth are moderately to vigorously active for at least 50% of the physical activity time.
  • Ensure physical activity takes place outdoors whenever possible.
  • Youth and Family Education
    • Offer evidence-based nutrition education to youth.
    • Offer evidence-based education materials about nutrition and physical activity to families through pamphlets, newsletters, email blasts or other means.

Additionally, NRPA has committed to eliminating access to television and movies at its sites, and limiting digital device time to less than an hour a day, used for homework or activities that engage youth in moderate to vigorous physical activity.