Local Policy Supporting Afterschool and Summer

Locally, mayors and city councils continue to be great supporters of afterschool and summer programs. At the municipal level, local ballot initiatives in a handful of areas also passed this month, providing additional support for local afterschool and summer programs and school-age child care, and the families that rely on them. The Children’s Funding Project has a great overview of these efforts in their blog “Voters in Local Communities Approve Up to $133 Million for Kids in the 2024 Election.” Among the successes were:

• Travis County Proposition A in Austin, Texas, passed by a wide margin, It increases the property tax by 2.5 cents per $100 of property value and dedicates the new revenue to expanding availability of child care slots, providing child care scholarships for children from low-income families, and supporting access to out-of-school time opportunities for school-age children and youth. The initiative is expected to create nearly 3,900 afterschool and summer program opportunities for elementary-age children.
   
• Platte County Ballot Measure in Missouri also passed by a wide margin. It establishes the Platte County Children’s Services Fund to support mental health services for children and youth. Platte County 4 Kids—a coalition of nonprofit mental health organizations and community leaders—turned to county residents for support of the community’s young people. The coalition collected more than 8,000 signatures in just six weeks, well over the 4,571 required to allow voters to decide the issue.

More resources from partner organizations can be found below:

The National League of Cities works with cities and municipal leaders to help strengthen local efforts to create, expand, and improve afterschool and summer learning opportunities. Municipal leaders recognize the importance of this work and the essential role that afterschool and summer learning play to improve academics, develop skills, and provide exposure to new, stimulating experiences for youth in their communities. 

• Governance Structures for City Afterschool Systems, Wallace Foundation
• What Cities Have Discovered About Building Afterschool Systems, Wallace Foundation

The Every Hour Counts network represents longstanding city and regional partnerships with more than 3,500 schools, districts, and community-based organizations that provide quality after-school and summer programming. Every Hour Counts partners support initiatives that reach 500,000 students each year through city-wide intermediaries.

• Putting Data Systems to Work for Young People

The Children's Funding Project helps communities and states expand equitable opportunities for children and youth through strategic public financing.

• Ballot initiatives and voter-approved funding for children and youth
• Funding Out of School Time Programs

The National Recreation and Parks Association - Park and recreation agencies play an integral part in the lives of many families — especially when it comes to childcare. Nine in 10 adults recognize the importance of these before- and afterschool programs in their local community.

• Parks and Recreation and before and afterschool programs

The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities recognizes the key role public housing authorities can play in a variety of educational efforts benefiting both low-income children and adults, including afterschool and summer programs. 

• Housing Is Education

 

For more ideas on engaging and strengthening afterschool at the local level see the Program Toolbox

 

A local funding source can also be created by establishing a special dedicated revenue source generated from narrowly based taxes, licensing fees, user fees or other special fees. For example, Washington state uses the revenues from a special tax on alcohol, tobacco and soda pop syrup to fund family support and other violence-prevention activities.

Below are some of the local sources and people in your community that you should contact to pursue funding:
 

School district or county office of education	School Principal, Superintendent, School Board Members
County or city general funds	Mayor, City Council, County Board of Supervisors, City Manager
County or city parks and recreation departments	Head of the Parks and Recreation Department, Mayor, City Council, County Board of Supervisors
County or city youth service bureaus	Head of the Youth Service Bureau, Mayor, City Council, County Board of Supervisors
County or city social services departments	Head of the Human Services Department, Mayor, City Council, County Board of Supervisors
Dedicated revenue sources (such as a garbage collection tax)	Mayor, City Council, County Board of Supervisors, City Manager

 

To see successful examples of afterschool programs that have pieced together funding from local as well as other sources, check out the resources from Children's Funding Project.