SEARCH FOR RESOURCES
This website is tracking a number of issues on emergency preparedness relevant to school-age care (SAC) providers, including a new training to prepare for an active shooter, a listserv to share leading practices and resources, mobile texting resources to connect directors with parents, and tracking of severe weather. Some trainings are offered as webinars.
This brief outlines five core executive function/self-regulation skills needed for success in life: (1) planning, (2) focus, (3) self-control, (4) awareness, and (5) flexibility. Noting that adolescence is a critical window of opportunity, it offers tips on how practitioners can build these skills, insights into how stress affects the development of core skills, and five ways for programs to deliver services that reduce stress. A companion video is available here: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/video-building-core-capabilities-life/
This website offers resources on a range topics related to healthy youth development, with the goal of helping users create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Topics are divided into 28 categories such as after school programs, employment, bullying prevention, expectant and parenting young families, LGBT, mental health, helping youth cope after a school shooting, substance abuse prevention, and transition and aging out. This website is useful for accessing current information on youth-related news, facts, tools, and resources.
This issue brief describes three distinct models for effective afterschool system governance. The models emerged out of a literature review and interviews with leaders from 15 cities. The three models are named based on where the city system is housed: (1) public agency, (2) nonprofit (either single purpose or multiservice), and (3) networks where several organizations share management and oversight.
This white paper explores three trends for implementing competency-based learning in afterschool programs as a strategy for helping students become college and career ready. It highlights six programs in different states that are working to define competencies, and offer badges and course credit as a means of translating and validating those key skills for college and future employers.
This report reviews rigorous large-scale evaluations and meta-analyses to understand the value and effectiveness of out-of-school programs through lenses of content, dosage, and outcomes. It includes recommendations for policy, practice, and funding based on the findings. It also has a separate appendix that summarizes results of primary and secondary outcomes from research.
This issue brief reviews what states need to know to meet CCDF (Child Care Development Fund) regulations for training and professional development (PD). It includes examples of five state PD system frameworks and resources for building the system's six key components: (1) professional standards and competencies, (2) career pathways, (3) advisory structure, (4) articulation, (5) workforce information, and (6) financing.
This issue brief shares three mindfulness practices that can help children who are growing up in a culture that constantly stimulates a stress response. By using mindful breathing, mindful listening, and paying attention to emotions, we can help strengthen neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex to build resilience.
This issue brief provides 11 tips for building resilience with those attending summer camp. It highlights the importance of relationships with peers and adults, building frustration tolerance, confidence, and patience, and encouraging effort and improvement over winning. These tips are relevant for any afterschool or summer program.
This FAQ document is designed for summer program providers that serve children from low-income families and may be interested in serving families who use child care subsidies, but are not overly familiar with CCDF. A basic introduction to the CCDF program is followed by a resource list of links to provide information to summer programs. These online resources will help summer programs learn more about their eligibility to serve children whose families use subsidies to pay for their summer child care. Este documento también está disponible en español.