National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment Resource Library

This self-paced module by You for Youth provides steps and strategies for program leaders to recruit, train, and retain program staff. It includes many resources such as sample job descriptions, human resource policies and staff manuals, and ideas for interview questions and reference checks. It can assist a program leader in creating a plan for improving staff recruitment and retention.  Unless you need a certificate of completion, you do not need to log in to the Y4Y portal to do the module--just click "cancel" when asked to log in and proceed.
 

This webinar explores what intermediaries are learning about what it takes to recruit and retain OST staff. The panel is facilitated by Angelica Portillo from NAA with panelists from Utah Afterschool Network, California Afterschool Network, Dallas Afterschool Network, and San Francisco Beacon Initiative. Strategies include hiring bonuses, compensation, flexibility, being involved in decision making, pre-service training and career pathways, and staff nurturing.  

This webinar by the Grantmakers for Education OST Impact group shares how funders, adults, and peers in OST spaces can provide support to LGBTQ+ youth, especially in the current context of attacks on LGBTQ+ identities. Panelists from the Trevor Project, Horizons Foundation, and an LGBTQ+ organization in Florida shared data on mental health concerns and suggestions for ways to create safe spaces in OST programs. A robust list of resources are also included. This resource supports equity.  

This webinar features authors from the recent volume, The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field: Professional Journeys of Growth, Connection, and Transformation. Youth development professionals and researchers share how to build relationships that increase engagement that is centered in equity, inclusion, and diversity. This resource supports equity.

On June 29, 2023, the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment hosted the webinar “Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health Supports for Out-of-School Time: A Conversation on Strategies and Systems” to address the topic of building SEL and mental health capacity for Out-of-School Time programming.  The event included a facilitated discussion with system leaders on the best strategies to equitably address the SEL and mental health needs of children and families, along with consideration for culture, ethnicity, linguistic needs, income, historical context, and other factors.

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 report offers practical guidance for out-of-school-time (OST) programs and intermediaries that wish to incorporate social and emotional learning (SEL) activities into their programming for youth. The lessons are derived from RAND’s study over four years of more than 100 afterschool programs across six communities participating in the Wallace Foundation’s Partnerships for Social and Emotional Learning Initiative (PSELI). The cities are Boston, Dallas, Denver, Palm Beach County, Tacoma, and Tulsa. 

These briefs summarize research on changes in licensing requirements and policies in every state for child care centers, family child care homes, and group child care homes. They compare 2020 data to that of 2017. Topics covered include staff and provider qualifications and training requirements, child-staff ratios and group sizes, requirements for the care of children, and health and safety requirements for child care facilities. They also include requirements for training licensing staff.