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This updated policy statement from DHHS and the U.S. Department of Education underscores the urgency in improving services for children with disabilities. It includes the science-based benefits and the legal foundation for inclusion, recommendations for state policies to strengthen inclusion, as well as state examples of promising practices. This resource supports resiliency. This resource supports equity.
Today's youth are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety. One way that schools and other youth organizations can provide support is by implementing a wellness room for kids who need space to sort out their emotions. This issue brief outlines benefits and offers tips for creating and using wellness rooms. This resource supports resiliency.
On December 6, 2024 the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment and the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance hosted a webinar highlighting tips and resources to help school-age child care providers build or enhance their business practices and create sustainable Out-of-School Time programs. Attendees had the opportunity to explore budgeting, marketing, and staffing considerations for OST programs; along with materials including the NCASE Business Practices Tips for Out-of-School Time Child Care tip sheet.
This issue brief is the result of several years examining the child care needs of Native American families, based on the first-ever national survey of Native parents, analysis of 184 Tribal Child Care Plans, site visits, and dozens of interviews with tribal leaders, parents, and tribal child care personnel. Tribal child care is systematically underfunded, and although tribal governments would like to support all members, they often lack the jurisdiction and funding to serve the 87% who live outside a reservation. The blueprint includes recommendations to: (1) strengthen communication and collaboration between state governments and tribes; (2) open new approaches for tribes to serve members living off-reservation; (3) reform federal funding to address tribal needs; and (4) address historical trauma. This resource supports equity.
With pandemic funding coming to an end, advocates and program providers must plan now for a thoughtful, long-term approach to funding out of-school time programs with other federal, state, and local funding sources. This fact sheet highlights some of the potential funding sources that can support out-of-school time programs including federal and state sources, tax revenues, bonds, fees, assets, and settlements, with many state and city examples. There is a related webinar, Sustainable Approaches to Funding OST Programs.
As the sunset of ESSER and ARPA funding nears, system leaders and practitioners are concerned about the sustainability of youth-serving programs. In this webinar from Grantmakers for Education, leaders from the Children's Funding Project, the Afterschool Alliance, and the Denver Afterschool Alliance explore different approaches and funding sources. This program also builds on suggestions in the issue brief, Funding Out-of-School Time Programs--Now and in the Future.
This Better Kid Care site from Penn State Extension offers research-based online training modules on a range of topics relevant to working with school-age children such as positive youth development and guidance, career preparation for youth, financial planning, and cultural competency and responsiveness. The modules include a combination of slides, video clips, research summaries, practical tips, and worksheets. Most are geared to practitioners. The trainings are free; a professional development certification of completion is $5-10. Some modules are available in Spanish.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Reauthorization of 2016 includes requirements for health and safety training. This resource from Better Kid Care at Penn State Extension provides information on health and safety professional training for Out-of-School Time (OST) providers, as required by states. Topics covered are: (1) safe spaces, (2) transportation safety, (3) handling and storage of hazardous materials, (4) emergency preparedness, (5) prevention and control of infectious disease, (6) food and allergic reactions and how to respond, (7) administration of medication, (8) shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma, and (9) safe sleep and SUIDS prevention. The course is 6 hours long and is free; $15 if you need a professional development certification of completion. This resource is available in Spanish.
This webinar explored how to better meet the needs of Native American and Indigenous youth and families in OST programs. Panelists representing national, state, and local organizations explored topics such as the goals of OST programs from family and caregiver perspectives. The barriers identified included lack of access to programs, transportation challenges, cost, and culturally insensitive funding streams. Also discussed was the importance of family engagement, the importance of preserving cultural traditions, and strategies to improve programs for indigenous youth. A related resource is the Afterschool Alliance survey results, America After 3 pm for Native American Families. This resource support equity.
This 2023 issue of the Afterschool Matters journal is focused on the OST workforce, specifically, findings from interviews that were part of the Power of Us Workforce Survey. This survey was part of a research study designed to gather data about the experiences of youth-serving workers in a wide range of fields, with the goal of helping communities better understand the youth-serving workforce and ways to help it thrive. The journal explores the insights of professionals in the youth fields on critical issues: community institutions, summer, entry points and recruitment, compensation, career pathways, and recommendations. This resource supports equity.