Gov. Schwarzenegger founded After-School All-Stars 20 years ago to provide quality opportunities for children to learn and be physically active.  The program now serves almost 100,000 students.  He also spearheaded the Proposition 49 referendum in California that resulted in dedicated state afterschool program funding. Both of these efforts echo the purpose of the federal 21^st CCLC initiative in giving young people a safe place to learn and grow as individuals during the hours when school is out of session.  And back in 2004, when afterschool funding was in grave danger, Arnold Schwarzenegger came to Washington and successfully built bipartisan support to protect the program, working closely with then-Secretary of Education Rod Paige to host an afterschool summit.

The Capitol Hill meetings were hosted by House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) The meetings demonstrated the broad bipartisan support for afterschool programs.  Attendees included Sens. Reid, Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii); and Reps. McCarthy, Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Susan W. Brooks (R-Ind.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), Tom Petri (R-Wis.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) and Hal Rogers (R-Ky.).  Following the discussion with the senators, a press conference was held on Capitol Hill.

Joining the governor on his round of meetings were Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant; After-School All-Stars CEO Ben Paul; University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy Dean Jack H. Knott; and Bonnie Reiss, global director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. 

On the same day as his meetings, the D.C.-based newspaper Politico ran Schwarzenegger's opinion piece entitled  A Prime Time for Learning on his support for afterschool.  In between meetings, the governor spent the day on Reddit, having a conversation on afterschool programs with people around the world. 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ended his day in Washington celebrating Lights On Afterschool at a special carnival and pep rally to mark the arrival of the After-School All-Stars program in Washington, D.C. The event at Stuart Hobson Middle School included most of the program’s 200 students as well as robotics, First Tee golf, basketball, academic activities and more.

Key provisions of the spending deal include:

• Government funded through Jan. 15 at sequestration levels.
• Debt limit suspended until Feb. 7.
• A budget conference established to come up with long-term spending plans by Dec. 13. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) will be the conference committee leaders.
• Adjusted income verification for recipients of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act’s newly-established exchanges.
• Back pay for furloughed federal workers. 

The bill comes on Lights On Afterschool Day, when thousands of parents, students, leaders and educators around the country join together to celebrate the power of afterschool programs to improve the lives of young people. Also last night the Senate passed by unanimous consent a bipartisan resolution in support of Lights On Afterschool, S. Res. 274, sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.).

While STEM learning was front and center, the convening went well beyond STEM to reflect the breadth of opportunities that kids and families need after school.  The closing keynote featured Shannon Rudisill, Director of the Office of Child Care at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).  Rudisill spoke passionately about the efforts the federal and state level to promote child care policies and practices that are child-focused, family-friendly and fair to providers. In addition to discussing recently proposed rules that will strengthen child care offerings at the local level, her comments on partnerships, ensuring quality programs, and the continuum of care from the early years into the school age years resonated with state afterschool network leaders and state education agency officials in attendance.

Other highlights from the conference were sessions on digital badges, state afterschool network communications and infrastructure, and a series of meetings with key federal agencies including the Education and Agriculture departments, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Domestic Policy Council, and Office of Management and Budget.  The meetings were  extremely positive and the Administration staffers were very interested to hear about the systems building work that is going on to support afterschool programs.   

On the final day of the conference, state afterschool network leaders participated in more than 70 meetings and a briefing with Members of Congress and their staff to discuss federal education, child care and STEM policies that can increase access to quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities for the millions of children currently unsupervised when school is out of session. Friends of afterschool can share those same messages with Congress via email.

Detention and incarceration costs taxpayers far more than providing youth support through non-residential community-based programs.   A 2007 study by the UCLA National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing found that children who attended LA’s BEST afterschool program were 30 percent less likely to participate in criminal activities than their peers who did not attend the program.  Researchers estimate that every dollar invested in the LA’s BEST program saves the city $2.50 in crime-related costs. A 2009 Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) review of a decade of afterschool program research and evaluation studies confirms that children and youth who participate in afterschool programs can reap a host of positive benefits in a number of interrelated outcome areas—academic, social-emotional, prevention, and health and wellness.

As parents, educators, young people and elected officials gather to celebrate the power of afterschool programs as part of Lights On Afterschool this week, many will take action in support of federal policies like JJDPA that make quality out of school time programs possible.  This week is the perfect opportunity to send a message to Congress, after it ends the government shutdown: it’s time to reauthorize and fund JJDPA. Here’s how can you help.

If the shutdown goes on for more than a week, additional federal education funding could be impacted, and backlogs and delays are expected. Competitive grant processing for Race to the Top, Investing in Innovation and Promise Neighborhoods could lapse for a week. For more information see the Department of Education’s shutdown contingency memo.

The Department of Agriculture will continue to provide funding for afterschool meals and snacks. Providers of CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals are reimbursed for meals served 30 days after the end of the service month, so providers would not be paid for meals provided in October until the end of November.

AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA are federally funded through the Corporation for National and Community Service. During the shutdown, members are expected to report to their service sites and work according to their usual schedules. Members will still continue to accrue their stipends. Some members may not receive payment until the government reopens, depending on how their position is funded.

For more information and updates on the struggle in Congress to fund the government, see coverage by Politico. Additional discussion of the FY2014 appropriations process as it relates to afterschool programs can be accessed through previous blog posts.

Candidate for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has made expansion of pre-K and afterschool a central part of his education plan.  His plan calls for creating universal pre-Kindergarten and afterschool programs for all middle school students.  In order to fund this initiative he has called for an increase in taxes for New Yorkers earning $500,000 or more.  His campaign website expands on the afterschool proposal: 

Over the last several years in New York City, afterschool programs have been dramatically cut from 87,000 slots in 2008, to roughly 20,000 slots for FY2014.  Bill de Blasio has called for a large-scale expansion of afterschool programs for all middle school students by taxing New York’s wealthiest residents.  The extended learning time in afterschool programs helps our students make positive gains in their academic performance, benefit from diverse programs that enrich learning, improve communication skills with adults, decrease behavioral problems, and it offers young people alternatives to trouble on the streets.

Election Day is Nov. 5 and in addition to governor and mayor races, school board seats, city council and other local races will be decided that day.  Election campaigns are an excellent opportunity to educate policy makers and office holders about the critical role that afterschool and summer learning programs play in the lives of children, families and communities.  The Election and Campaign Toolkits are excellent resources that include creative ways to reach candidates.  Town hall meetings and Lights On Afterschool events can be great conversation starters for beginning discussions on the key messages about supporting afterschool.  Afterschool program providers can also encourage staff and parents to register to vote on Nov. 5. 

Press coverage during back-to-school season provided a number of examples of districts and schools that are cutting back on afterschool programs:

The Press Enterprise reports that in the Jurupa (Calif.) Unified School District the sequester has led to decreases in federal Title 1, Title 2 and Title 3 revenues. Title 1 provides funding for reading intervention, tutoring and afterschool programs. Title 2 funds are for professional development and Title 3 funds are aimed at English-language learners.

According to KPC news in Kendallville, Ind., the Hamilton Community Schools board recently approved a plan to fund its afterschool program through money gleaned from a property tax increase. According to the report, “the afterschool program had been funded through federal money, but that revenue was sliced by the budget sequester last spring.”

An article from Kentucky Forward reports that as a result of the sequester, Kentucky public schools are reopening for the 2013-14 year with tens of millions of fewer federal dollars for everything from intervention aid for struggling students to fewer special education staff and reduced afterschool programs. The article also explains the potential future impact of the sequester if Congress does not change current law. Kentucky Board of Education Associate Commissioner Hiren Desai is quoted as stating “if sequestration is really for the next 10 years, we’re looking at federal funding being cut by 50 percent a year then…no amount of tax reform or anything else will restore those funds.”

As the school year begins in earnest, additional data will become available on the impact of the sequester on afterschool and summer learning programs, particularly the federal funding available through the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers initiative.  Please use the comment space below to record your community’s experience with the sequester effecting availability and access to quality afterschool programs.