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This issue brief is the result of several years examining the child care needs of Native American families, based on the first-ever national survey of Native parents, analysis of 184 Tribal Child Care Plans, site visits, and dozens of interviews with tribal leaders, parents, and tribal child care personnel. Tribal child care is systematically underfunded, and although tribal governments would like to support all members, they often lack the jurisdiction and funding to serve the 87% who live outside a reservation. The blueprint includes recommendations to: (1) strengthen communication and collaboration between state governments and tribes; (2) open new approaches for tribes to serve members living off-reservation; (3) reform federal funding to address tribal needs; and (4) address historical trauma. This resource supports equity.
This webinar explored how to better meet the needs of Native American and Indigenous youth and families in OST programs. Panelists representing national, state, and local organizations explored topics such as the goals of OST programs from family and caregiver perspectives. The barriers identified included lack of access to programs, transportation challenges, cost, and culturally insensitive funding streams. Also discussed was the importance of family engagement, the importance of preserving cultural traditions, and strategies to improve programs for indigenous youth. A related resource is the Afterschool Alliance survey results, America After 3 pm for Native American Families. This resource support equity.
This webinar focuses on the uniqueness and significance of afterschool and summer programs in rural communities. It examines challenges faced by rural afterschool programs, strategies for tailoring afterschool programs to rural contexts, the role of advocacy in supporting these programs, and resources for mobilizing rural afterschool programs.
As states seek to invest in cost modeling tools, providers and funders must think strategically about how the tools can best be used. This issue brief explores how tools can answer some of the most pressing questions facing the early childhood field such as workforce compensation, increasing child care supply, and determining subsidy rates that meet the true cost of care. The brief includes examples from NM, DC, TX, NYC, and MA.
The Urban Institute engaged in a yearlong project to document how states access and strategically use federal funds to support early childhood systems and compensation. Five states including GA, IL, NM, TX, WA and other leaders joined in a convening to discuss their experiences. States shared challenges and the innovative strategies they are employing that include tailoring strategies to state context to address fragmentation; using philanthropic or private TA organizations to build state leaders' knowledge of how to access funds; and using cost models to advance child care compensation.
This brief draw on interviews with administrators on what ten states have learned about sustaining policy gains after the pandemic (CT, IL, KS, KY, NC, ND, NM, OK, OR, SC). Listed are allowable strategies used to: (1) increase the number of families eligible for child care assistance; (2) reduce the burden of family copayments; (3) stabilize child care based on actual cost of care; and (4) support higher compensation for the workforce. This resource supports equity.
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 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 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 tool kit can help partners across the nation understand the child care landscape, establish new relationships, and build bipartisan solutions to child care's most pressing challenges. Included are sections on the child care funding landscape; tips for building support; talking points for making the case; and supporting child care and early learning in centers, family child care, and in support of American Indian and Alaskan Native children.