National Profile

This national profile provides a picture of afterschool programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It includes information about promising state and local initiatives as well as information on the largest federal funding sources. It is designed to provide policymakers, administrators, and providers with an overview of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that occurs before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. The Afterschool Investments Project has developed a set of individual state profiles, upon which this national profile is based. See http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/statep.html to learn more about afterschool initiatives in your state or to search a database of state initiatives. 

• Quick Facts
• The Afterschool Landscape—A View Across the States
• Federal Funding for Afterschool Programs
• National Organizations and Resources
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
States may use the resource and referral and school-age targeted funds for state programs or policies that improve school-age care supply, quality, or both, as well as to support resource and referral agencies’ efforts to promote access to child care. Among the most common uses of the school-age targeted funds in FY08-09 are providing specialized training for school-age caregivers (41 states), engaging in planning related to school-age care (25 states), and funding grants to improve the quality of school-age child care services (17 states).

Other quality activities:
States may use the quality dollars to fund a range of efforts to improve the quality of child care in the state, including staff training, grants to providers, efforts to promote licensing and accreditation, efforts to improve provider compensation and rate differentials to promote high quality care. In FY 08-09, the vast majority of states reported that, among other activities, they are using these funds to undertake comprehensive child care consumer education activities, to support grants and loans to assist providers in meeting state and local standards, to help build a professional development system, and to support efforts to monitor compliance with child care licensing and regulatory requirements.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

School-age rate categories:
To address the unique circumstances of school-age care, most states have implemented a separate rate category for school-age care or for children over a specific age. School-age rates are generally lower than rates for younger children, as school-age care typically requires fewer caregivers and involves fewer hours of caregiving per day.

Average monthly, center-based school-age rate:
School-age payment rates vary widely across states and states differ as to whether rates are determined on a per-hour, per-week, or per-month basis. On average, the monthly, center-based rate for school-age care in large urban areas is $426.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges:
Varying age ranges and age definitions are used in establishing payment structures across states and territories. In FY2008-09, thirty-two states and territories reported setting separate rates for infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age ranges. The school-age range is defined as care for children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old.

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
A number of states have implemented tiered reimbursement systems, which awards a bonus above the standard rate to accredited providers or providers meeting other criteria. In FY2008-09, 21 states reported establishing tiered reimbursement for quality care beyond the level assured by minimum licensing standards and 24 states reported establishing tiered reimbursement specifically tied to provider training and education. Tiered rates generally apply to all providers meeting the established criteria, including those serving the school-age population.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing Policies

School-age licensing standards:
46 states have special rules for child care centers that serve school-age children; 14 states have established separate regulations in addition to these child care center rules.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age centers:
Ratios vary by state and increase for older children. The range of ratios for school-age children across states is: 10:1 to 26:1.

School-age programs exempt from licensing standards:
27 states allow public school-based, school-age programs to be exempt from licensing standards.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age care credentials:
At least 11 states have developed a professional credential for school-age and youth care providers. These states are: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Statewide quality rating systems (QRS):
Of the 18 states with statewide QRS, the following 9 states have made key school-age care adaptations to their rating systems: Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.

Statewide afterschool networks:
There are currently 38 Statewide Afterschool Networks funded by the C.S. Mott Foundation to support efforts to improve policy and program quality in the field of afterschool.

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

Program locations:
The majority of 21st CCLC programs are school-based, but some programs are located in the community or provide services on- and off-school sites.

Licensing required:
10 states require 21st CCLC programs to be licensed, 8 states require licensing in certain situations, and 32 states, and the District of Columbia, do not require licensing.

Additional information about 21st CCLC:
Some states are coordinating the use of their 21st Century Community Learning Center funds with other resources, including the C.S. Mott Foundation’s Statewide Afterschool Networks, to expand the availability of school-age care for children and youth.

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The Afterschool Landscape—A View Across the States

Across the nation, a wide variety of stakeholders, including educators, law enforcement officials, business leaders, and public officials at all levels of government, are recognizing the value of afterschool services and taking significant steps to expand access to quality programs. Afterschool programs vary widely in terms of their settings, structures, and functions. Afterschool providers include schools, community-based organizations, for-profit businesses, and family child care homes, among others. Programs operate in school buildings, child care centers, recreation and community centers libraries, and elsewhere in the community. The goals and structure of programs also varies depending on when they take place—the structure of a summer program, for instance, may differ substantially from an afterschool program. Programs may focus on academics, enrichment, sports, recreation, mentoring, tutoring, or a combination thereof. The Afterschool Investments State Profile Series highlights a range of policies and practices that support the sustainability of programs

• Improving Program Quality. Research has begun to identify the particular features of high quality afterschool programs that can have significant, positive effects on a variety of student outcomes. To support high quality programs, states are engaged in a variety of efforts to improve such as developing program standards, creating measures of afterschool quality, revising licensing regulations, and developing afterschool professional development systems.

  Program standards refer to benchmarks that are used by parents, school-age professionals, and policymakers to assess the quality of care children and youth receive in a particular program. Standards often reflect best practices in the out-of-school time field, and may or may not be explicitly linked to accreditation processes. Measures of quality, sometimes in the form of self- assessment tools, determine whether programs are meeting standards, and by extension the needs of participants, families, communities, and other relevant stakeholders. Some States have begun linking targeted training and professional development opportunities to needs identified by these measures. Licensing ensures a minimum level of health and safety, whereas accreditation provides a way for organizations to formally evaluate their school-age programs on indicators of professional standards set by the Council on Accreditation (COA) or some other recognized association, often a state body. To successfully complete the accreditation process, programs usually undergo a thorough review to determine whether they are meeting baseline performance measures as they relate to staffing, health and safety procedures, physical environment, curriculum, and administration.

  Many states are using Quality Rating Systems (QRS) and tiered reimbursement strategies to reward programs that demonstrate higher levels of quality and address the problems of lower quality programs. Quality rating systems assess afterschool settings according to whether they meet particular quality benchmarks or standards in an easy-to-understand manner (for instance, on a scale of one to five stars). Under a tiered reimbursement system, states can tie higher rates of subsidy reimbursements to higher levels of afterschool program quality.

• Professionalizing the Field. Professional development refers to the host of supports in place to ensure that workers in school-age programs are better equipped to respond to the needs of young people. Common professional supports include: scholarships and stipends to pursue school-age credentials offered by higher education institutions; trainings and technical assistance; conferences and networking events; and mentoring. In recent years, the growing demand for school-age care has prompted more states to strengthen professional development infrastructures in order to build the supply of high- quality afterschool program staff.

  In a growing number of states, this demand has led to a focus on a specific credential for school-age caregivers. A credential certifies that an individual has met a specified set of requirements set forth by the grantor of the credential. Nineteen states have a specific credential for child care program directors and ten states have a specific school-age provider credential. National coalitions and collaborations are also seeking to support states as they work to strengthen their school-age credentials and work in this area.

• Increasing Access. Many states are seeking to increase access to quality afterschool programs, particularly among those families with the greatest need. The need for better access to affordable, quality afterschool opportunities is particularly acute for low-income families. Though their children are most in need of safe, engaging and challenging activities, lower- income families face numerous barriers to accessing quality programs and services. An increasing number of states are undertaking assessments to measure the existing supply and demand of quality school-age care and then targeting interventions to meet demonstrated needs, particularly for particular geographic regions or subsets of school age children (i.e. older youth). At the same time, states are seeking to educate their residents about school-age care options and to provide parents with assistance finding quality school age care before and afterschool and during the summer or school holidays.. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides additional CCDF funds both to support subsidies and quality investments. A number of States report plans to improve integrated data systems. These enhanced data systems will provide state administrators with a wealth of information including the impact State-level investments in quality have on child and youth outcomes as well as academic success. .
• Strengthening Partnerships. States and local communities are working with partners to align and coordinate resources to expand program capacity. Collaborative efforts among multiple partners, including schools, private businesses, government agencies, foundations, and universities have emerged to meet the increasing demand for afterschool care. For providers, partnerships can help programs diversify their funding, extend the leadership that supports their efforts, expand the populations that they serve, introduce new activities and services to their existing repertoire, and design and implement sustainability strategies. For policymakers, statewide and local afterschool networks have become vehicles for bringing together policymakers, educators, advocates, parents, funders, private sector leaders, and others interested in improving outcomes for children and youth through out-of-school time programs. Networks provide a means for joint planning; sharing of resources and best practices; building bridges to and between federal, state, and local initiatives; and developing comprehensive afterschool policies. Networks can also support policy efforts that lead to increased resources for afterschool and improved program quality.

• Financing Strategies to Support Sustainability. In recent years, policymakers have used a variety of financing strategies to fund afterschool programs, drawing from federal, state and local funding sources. Approaches vary from state to state, depending on policy goals, available resources, and economic and political climates. Financing strategies include making better use of existing funds; maximizing available federal dollars; creating more flexibility in funding streams; developing new dedicated revenue sources for afterschool programs; gaining access to additional resources; and creating partnerships between public and private-sector organizations and funding sources. States are utilizing funds from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to support youth employment training and preparation programs, as well as other activities during out-of- school time hours. States are also allocating TANF dollars to fund activities for older youth or other prevention programs. States use the Child Care and Development Fund quality earmark to fund programs to meet the needs of youth for care during non-school hours while their families work, as well as to provide training and other incentives to school age providers.

  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) increased both the general and targeted funds allocations of CCDF funding to states and territories in FY 2009. Several States have used this increase in funds to improve the quality of school age care by investing in data system development and integration, summer programs for school age children, increased slots for school-age care, Quality Rating Systems for school-age care, and professional development systems.

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Federal Funding for Afterschool Programs

Afterschool initiatives at the state and local level are supported and shaped by the availability of a variety of public and private investments. The three largest federal funding sources for afterschool care are: the Child Care and Development Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Each of these programs is administered by the states. (See side-bar for federal funding levels and other administrative data regarding these programs.)

• Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). CCDF provides child care vouchers to subsidize the cost of care for low-income families and it supports state child care quality improvement initiatives. While often associated with care for very young children, nearly half of all children receiving CCDF subsidies are aged five through 12. In addition, states may choose to use funds earmarked for quality improvements to support initiatives to improve the quality and availability of school-age care, such as training programs or capacity-building grants for afterschool providers. States are required to utilize at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds on quality activities and may also use discretionary funds targeted by Congress for school-age care quality improvements and/or resource and referral activities.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF funds, which provide financial support for low-income families, may also be used to support afterschool programs. States can directly spend TANF funds on afterschool programs and initiatives. States can also transfer up to 30 percent of their federal TANF allocation to the CCDF. TANF funds transferred to CCDF are subject to CCDF rules and requirements, and can be used to expand out- of-school time capacity-building and quality-enhancement efforts. Direct TANF spending can provide states with additional flexibility for school age care for youth with specific needs. For example, funds can support services such as education, job training, mentoring and health care in addition to individual subsidies for children.
• 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC). The 21CCLC program is the only federal funding source that exclusively supports afterschool programs. The purpose of 21CCLC is to support community learning centers that provide students with a broad array of academic enrichment services, including tutoring, homework help, and community service, as well as music, arts, sports, and cultural activities. As of 2001, when 21CCLC became a state formula grant program, the Department of Education awards grants to State Education Agencies, to manage statewide competitions to grant funds to eligible entities, including community-based and faith-based organizations, as well as schools.

A number of other federal funding sources can support afterschool programs or components targeted to specific activities or services. These sources include the U.S. Department of Education’s Supplemental Education Services funding under Title I, as well as grant programs administered by the Departments of Agriculture, Justice, and Labor. State and local governments, as well as corporations and foundations also fund afterschool initiatives. These diverse funding streams have contributed to the rapid growth of afterschool programs nationwide.

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National Organizations and Resources

See the Afterschool Investments project Resource List for major national resources grouped under the following key topics: program development, financing and sustainability, measuring results, collaboration and partnerships, quality improvement, school age care settings, and community mobilization and outreach. http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/rresources.html

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population, 2008: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12, 2008: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Note: Most recent data.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. Note: Most recent data.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY09 CCDF Allocation: Funding allocations are based on appropriation and do not reflect any reallotted or redistributed funds that may occur at a later date.

FFY09 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY09 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriates an additional $2 billion in one-time CCDF Discretionary funding available to State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies in FY09 as part of the economic stimulus package.

FFY07 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY07 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY07.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rates are listed for center-based care, family child care, and license exempt programs; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2007/tanf_2007.html.

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) and National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study, see: http://www.naralicensing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=160.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

School-based, school-age programs exempt from licensing: Research conducted by Afterschool Investments, March 2008.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age credential: NCCIC, State Professional Development System Credentials for Individuals, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/pd-credentials.html.

Statewide quality rating system: NCCIC, Quality Rating Systems: Definitions and Statewide Systems, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/qrs-defsystems.html.

Statewide afterschool network: National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks, see: http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a state formula grant. Funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of July 2009.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project’s State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.