View COVID-19 resources for CCDF Lead Agencies, providers, and families. Learn about provider eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccination.
Explore the School-Age Data Profiles Database with information on school-age children served by CCDF
National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment
The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE) provides training and technical assistance to the state, territory, and tribal CCDF lead agencies and their designated networks, which include the statewide afterschool networks, State and Local Education Agencies (SEAs/LEAs), provider associations, and Child Care Resource and Referral agencies. The goal of NCASE is to ensure that school-age children in families of low income have increased access to high-quality afterschool and summer learning experiences that contribute to their overall development and academic achievement.
Sign up for OCC Announcements and select afterschool and summer to receive updates on upcoming webinars, new resources, and other topics of importance to the out-of-school time field.
Announcement/Events:
The recording and presentation from the September 15 NCASE webinar is now available here. It features presentations from the Office of Child Care, Department of Education and Afterschool Alliance,...
On October 28th we celebrate the 22nd annual Lights on Afterschool. Organized by the Afterschool Alliance, Lights on Afterschool aims to raise awareness of the importance of the learning and enrichment opportunities and supports that afterschool programs provide to children and families....
Highlighted Tools and Resources:
Check out OST Professional Development System Building Toolkit supports for school-age providers
View our collection of NCASE Resources in Spanish / Recursos Disponibles en Español
Plan ahead with the OST Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Toolkit
Additional Resources
- Creating a safe, welcoming space where children learn and thrive, and where families feel supported, is a hallmark of high-quality school-age child care. This resource, Equity in Action: Tips for School-Age Child Care Providers, is designed to build the capacity of school-age child care providers in supporting equity and inclusion.
- As parents and caregivers support their children in their growth and development, they have many opportunities for talking about and modeling kindness and inclusion. This tip sheet, Equity in Action: Tips for Parents and Caregivers, encourages parents and caregivers to reflect on the things they already do with their children to help them learn and practice equity.
- NCASE hosted this webinar to highlight how the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds available through the Office of Child Care and the U.S. Department of Education can support school-age providers.
- NCASE has published the archive of our webinar featuring research on the current mental health needs of school-age children, their families, and the OST workforce, as well as information about state and local initiatives that promote positive mental health and social and emotional development.
- This practice brief explores current mental health needs of school-age children, their families, and the OST workforce. In addition, this brief discusses the social and emotional constructs that promote resilience, as well as examples of mental health supports for states and local jurisdictions to consider.
- This archived webinar featured the NCASE brief on partnerships and innovations in service of school-age chlid care. Topics covered include research on the importance of OST and state examples of innovative partnership practices to support the increased need for school-age child care during the pandemic.
- Home-based child care has always been an important part of the child care supply for families of school-age children. This practice brief explores challenges and promising practices to support school-age children in accessing high-quality experiences in home-based care.
- OST programming has been an integral piece of the school-age child care puzzle for decades. This practice brief shows how state-level partnerships combined with innovative practices serve to strengthen and coordinate available resources for the benefit of thousands of children and families.
- NCASE has developed a number of resources focused on supporting the out-of-school time workforce, including webinars, a practice brief, and the OST Professional Development System Building Toolkit. This publication also shares questions for reflection and action steps to guide the use of these resources.
- NCASE has developed a wide collection of publications over the past 5 years. This list organizes resources into topics that are vital in the field of school-age child care: SEL and ACEs, family engagement, access and funding, summer, professional development, and quality.
- NCASE hosted a listening session, now archived, with the Director of the Office of Child Care and a panel of presenters from the field of school-age care. This session was designed to help stakeholders in the field better understand the current state of school-age care in the country, specifically informed by lessons learned through efforts to deliver safe and meaningful summer programming in 2020.
- NCASE has published a new research brief that examines what parents value in school-age programs. The purpose of this brief, available in both English and Spanish, is to illustrate how CCDF bridges the needs of low-income working families with promising practices for out-of-school time, relating the experiences of parents in their own voices.
- NCASE designed this publication for leaders in state, territory, or tribal CCDF agencies who are seeking to build their knowledge of afterschool and summer child care. This publication features some of the best resources, including webinars, briefs, and toolkits, available in the online NCASE Resource Library, developed for both practitioners and system builders.
- NCASE has developed a number of resources focused on supporting school-age children’s social and emotional learning in out-of-school time. These resources include archived webinars, a practice brief, and a toolkit. The publication also shares questions for reflection and action steps.
- NCASE has developed a number of resources focused on promoting school-age children’s learning and development in the summer months. This publication is part of a series compiling NCASE resources on a particular theme. Resources include archived webinars, tip sheets for providers and parents/caregivers, and a toolkit.
- NCASE hosted a webinar on the OST Professional Development System Building Toolkit, which was designed to assist states as they build and strengthen professional development systems inclusive of school-age providers. Participants learned how they can use the toolkit to support their states’ efforts to build a strong workforce.
- The transition to kindergarten is an important milestone in a young child’s life.. NCASE has developed a research brief, available in both English and Spanish, that builds on existing guidance for supporting children and families by broadening the way parents and stakeholders think about the transition to kindergarten to include school-age programs.
- This new practice brief developed by NCASE explores the ways that Child Care and Development Fund Lead Agencies can play a significant role in mitigating the challenges for low-income working parents who need school-age child care.
- NCASE has developed a number of resources sharing strategies for addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in out-of-school time. This publication is part of a series compiling NCASE resources on a particular theme with prompts for reflection and suggested action steps.
- This tipsheet from NCASE offers a range of tips on what to consider before, during, and beyond kindergarten. It is designed to support parents and caregivers in thinking ahead about transition planning for their soon-to-be kindergartner. This tipsheet is also available in Spanish.
- NCASE has developed a number of publications, webinars, and other resources on strategies for finding support for school-age child care after school and in the summer. This publication is part of a series compiling NCASE resources on a particular topic, with reflection questions and action steps, for the benefit of state, territory, and tribal Lead Agencies and their designated networks.
- NCASE hosted a two-part webinar series on supporting positive social-emotional climates in out-of-school time, highlighting promising practices from a 10-state Professional Learning Group. Topics in this second webinar included state systems, partnerships, and funding; building staff capacity for improvement of social-emotional climates; and mental health consultation.
- NCASE designed this toolkit to assist states as they build professional development systems inclusive of school-age providers. It also supports states in complying with the provisions of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Final Rule, which are aimed at improving the quality of child care and supporting the early childhood workforce.
- NCASE hosted a two-part webinar series on supporting positive social-emotional climates in out-of-school time, highlighting promising practices from a 10-state Professional Learning Group. Topics in this first webinar included adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); ACEs mitigation strategies: trauma informed care and healing centered engagement; and culturally responsive practice.
- This toolkit shares consumer education information, including state examples and resources, on the physical, social, and emotional health and development of school-age children and engagement efforts with their parents and families. A Spotlight on Summer section has been added as part of the updated version of the toolkit, with related state examples and resources. This toolkit is also available in Spanish.
- Several federal grant programs play a significant role in supporting the costs of child care for low-income families, including care for school-age children before and after school and during the summer. This brief explores ways that TANF can be used to subsidize the care of eligible school-age children and support out-of-school time program initiatives.
- NCASE facilitated a peer learning group on social-emotional learning in out-of-school time for 10 cross-sector state teams. This brief highlights best practices that states learned about and shared, related to the connection of SEL to healthy development and success in school, work, and life; strengths-based, healing-centered, and culturally responsive social-emotional models; evidence-based supports; and mental health for children and youth.
- Federal, state, and local agencies are increasing investments and building capacity in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. The purpose of the Out-of-School Time Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (EPRR) Toolkit is to assist out-of-school time (OST) programs (staff, volunteers, etc.) in developing emergency preparedness plans that address the distinct needs of OST programs.
- NCASE facilitated a webinar to share strategies and a new set of tip sheets from NCASE aimed at mitigating and preventing lost academic progress that many school-age children experience during the summer months. Highlighting the value of summertime child care programming, the webinar included discussion of ways for school-age child care providers and parents to support enrichment and learning activities.
- NCASE hosted a webinar on Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Out-of-School Time in collaboration with the National AfterSchool Association. Topics included: Research about school-age children’s development and the impact of ACEs; strategies, challenges, and solutions for providing support to school-age children in OST programs; and promising practices for state system building that can strengthen supports.
- This practice brief from NCASE includes an overview of ACES mitigation and prevention strategies from a national perspective using CDC and ACES Connection information, and highlights specific state examples of legislation, policies, and practices that have been adopted.
- Many school-aged children lose up to three months of grade-level equivalency in math and reading skills over the summer months. This phenomenon is known as the summer slide. NCASE has created this tipsheet, available in both English and Spanish, so summertime child care providers can help school-age children and their families make the most of the summer months and avoid the summer slide.
- Children learn best when they have opportunities to build skills and knowledge across settings. These include summer child care programs as well as time spent at home. This resource from NCASE, available in both English and Spanish, is designed to support parents and caregivers in engaging their children in fun, meaningful learning activities throughout the summer.
- NCASE shares a practice brief on Aligning Out-of-School Time Services for Children Experiencing Homelessness. The examples discussed show that out-of-school time programs are well positioned to provide supportive environments for youth experiencing homelessness as well as their families. This brief is also available in Spanish.
- NCASE is proud to share a new resource on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and school-age children. This research brief, available in both English and Spanish, includes information and guidance on the role OST programs can play in mitigating ACEs as well as state policies and initiatives and initiatives that are often the catalysts supporting OST programs in this critical work.
- NCASE is pleased to share a new resource: Strengthening, Sustaining, and Supporting the Out-of-School Time Workforce. This practice brief was developed following a Peer Learning Community (PLC) designed to strengthen workforce systems to advance both individual career development and program quality.
- NCASE facilitated a webinar on the benefits and challenges of combining funds, including a review of different methods and possible funding sources that support quality out-of-school time (OST) care, and presentations from states that have successfully built partnerships to provide multiple funding sources for their OST programs for school-age children.
- To mark Summer Learning Day, NCASE hosted a webinar, Discoveries and Innovations in Summer Learning, to explore the most current developments in summer learning; highlight success strategies from states and programs; and share successes and challenges, and identify technical assistance to support.
- The next practice brief in the series from NCASE compares general methods for using multiple funding sources at the program and state levels and explores models for effectively combining CCDF with other frequently used funding sources to better support and sustain child care programs. A Spanish translation is also available.
- NCASE hosted a webinar introducing a first-ever series of national and state/territory data profiles with information about school-age children served through CCDF. The profiles present a detailed picture of how federal investments and state policies can support the needs of school-age children.
- This FAQ and resource list related to CCDF is designed to give an introduction to summer program providers that serve children from low-income families and may be interested in serving families who use child care subsidies. A Spanish translation is also available.
- This video, part of the School-Age Consumer Education Toolkit, shows the importance of afterschool and summer care for families. Telling the story of school-age child care through data and details about the experiences of children served through federal subsidies presents a unique opportunity to explore key issues, and engage a broader audience in the topic of school-age care.
- This document provides an overview of some general characteristics of state child care licensing regulations for summer programs and day camps. The information is based on a scan of regulations in 17 states. The data was drawn from the National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations.
- NCASE hosted a webinar on requirements in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act regarding services to families experiencing/at risk for homelessness, innovative state strategies to implement requirements, and resources available to states and child care providers.
- A cross-sector approach to engagement in quality improvement systems can help raise awareness of the need to include OST programs, supporting more efficient use of resources for improving school-age child outcomes. This practice brief, available in both English and Spanish, highlights examples from Georgia and Wisconsin.
- The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment hosted a webinar to explore the unique attributes of school-age and summer workforces, identify ways to strengthen professional development systems, support continuous quality improvement, and learn about promising practices from two states.
- This practice brief, available in both English and Spanish, shares emerging strategies and promising practices on preparation and supportive policies for providers, PD requirements, and license-exempt monitoring. It features state examples from Minnesota and New Hampshire and insights on OST licensing.
- The NCASE Summer Learning Brief features research on program quality, funding strategies and information, a program spotlight, and other valuable resources that support reflection and planning and implementation for summer learning programs. A Spanish translation is also available.
- The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE) facilitated a 20-minute virtual tour of its Resource Library to share how this curated collection of tools, information, and examples of promising practices can inform and support efforts to increase access and to improve the quality of programs for school-age children.
- The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE) hosted a webinar as part of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) Convention. Attendees learned about efforts to professionalize the field and heard from state representatives on how they are addressing OST workforce issues.
- The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE) hosted a webinar designed to explore strategies for building sustainable quality improvements, ways to engage school-age programs, create standards, select assessment tools, and provide support.
- The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment and the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance came together to offer an interactive webinar session to help better understand the needs of States, Territories, and Tribes around supporting school-age children in family child care.
- The National Center for Afterschool and Summer Enrichment hosted this webinar to learn about emerging strategies for intertwining subsidy with quality in school-age care.
- Over the summer many young people and their families lose access to critical supports that keep them safe, healthy, and engaged in learning. The summer “opportunity gap” contributes to gaps in achievement that persist and widen over time, particularly for low-income students.
- Professional development systems (PDS) and quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) are two important subsystems of the comprehensive early childhood and school-age system. State and Territory leaders can use this self-assessment tool to guide alignment across similar system functions.
- Decades of research has documented the impact of summer vacation’s learning loss on the educational achievement of children, particularly low-income children. The achievement gap is not really a result of “summer slide” alone but the cumulative effect that begins with school readiness. This fact sheet shares research and statistics on the importance of high-quality care and summer learning.
