National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment Resource Library

The Center for American Progress partnered with community leaders to learn directly from parents and providers about challenges of living in child care deserts in Nashua, NH; Grand Rapids, MI; and Albuquerque, NM. The Center recommends that sustained investments in child care can transform the system by building supply, expanding affordability, and supporting the workforce. An additional resource is a map of child care deserts based on earlier data collection that can be found here: https://childcaredeserts.org. This resource supports equity.

This issue brief uses data from 2020 National Survey of Children's Health(NSCH) to describe the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in children ages birth to 17. This is important information as children with a higher number of ACEs are at higher risk for negative outcomes for mental health, health, and financial well-being. The brief includes charts of the number of ACEs children have by state, by race and ethnicity, and by health outcomes. This resource supports resiliency.

This article from the Journal of Youth Development highlights some learnings from a Community of Practice with 10 states on the strategic use of summer and afterschool ARP and ESSER funds. Findings are that states with existing OST infrastructure and cross-system relationships were better equipped to meet youth and family needs. The states have created action plans that focus on: (1) strengthening data to promote access, quality, and outcomes; (2) TA systems to build capacity and promote quality; (3) promoting partnerships; and (4) strategic and sustainable use of funding. There is a suggestion that states invest a portion of their remaining funds to plan for sustainability.  

This profile of innovation is part of a series of innovative initiatives in Child Care Development Fund lead agencies to support social-emotional and mental health as part of pandemic recovery. It includes examples from CO, KY, and SC on expanding mental health consultation and training, provider and director cafes for peer support on stress and trauma, and well-being coaches that help centers establish a well-being plan. An additional profile of innovation, Idaho Community Program Grant, highlights a grant opportunity for programs to receive funding to address student learning loss and behavioral health supports for ages 5-13; it can be found here. https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/new-occ/resource/files/id_profile.pdf.  This resource supports resiliency.

This brief summarizes findings from a study about equity in out-of-school-time programs run by school districts. It explores: (1) what equity looks like in OST programs provided by equity-minded districts; (2) what challenges districts face integrating their equity goals and efforts into their OST programs; (3) what actions districts can take to meet these challenges; and (4) what further research is needed to better inform policy and practice. This resource supports equity.  The companion full report can be found here: https://education.virginia.edu/documents/how-do-districts-implement-equity-afterschool-and-summer-programs

This issue brief provides lessons learned from a 2022 Learning Community convened by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment that included seven states--CA, IL, MA, NC, NM, VT, and WI. States explored ways to sustain compensation efforts begun with pandemic funding. Ideas included compensation reform, salary scales and cost modeling, obtaining dedicated funds and funding mechanisms, contracts and grants, and building data and evaluation capacity.  

This toolkit provides programs with an overview on the importance of youth voice, along with tools and examples.  The key takeaways are to meet youth where they are, train adults to exist in youth spaces and youth to exist  in adult spaces, and let youth take the lead. It also has a section with many resources on culturally responsive voice. Grantmakers in Education featured this resource and examples in this one-hour webinar, Youth Voice Initiative Share-Out and Discussion, found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZnHO1t6fDE 

This brief 15-minute webinar provides an overview of what trauma is, the common responses to and symptoms of trauma at different ages, and data on numbers of youth who have experienced trauma. It includes recommendations for bringing trauma-informed practices into OST settings that can serve as a checklist and reminders for afterschool and summer staff. Resources are provided. This resource supports resiliency.

This journal article in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences examines the role of afterschool and recommends that programs focus on relationships, developing youth interest, identity and social capital. Given the pressure from government and funders to focus on academics, this is an equity issue because research shows that wealthier youth are more likely to be offered enrichment experiences to develop interests and identify, but low-income and youth of color are more likely to have OST as extended forms of child care or schooling. This resource supports equity.  

This paper is designed to raise understanding and awareness of LGBTQ+ challenges, the current anti-LGBTQ climate, and ways that after school leaders can address these issues and support LGBTQ+ youth.  Given that 2022 data found that only 37% of LGBTQ+ youth identified home as an affirming space and only 55% felt school was an affirming place, it is essential that OST programs access these resources prepare their staff to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment. This resource supports equity.