Promising Practices for Out-of-School Time Licensing and License-Exempt Systems

Licensing is the foundation of efforts to improve program quality in the out-of-school-time field.  License requirements protect the basic health and safety of participating children and establish the professional development that is necessary for educators working in out-of-school-time programs.  Licensing is often the key to gain entry into a multi-level Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).

An NCASE collaboration with the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance and the National Center on Child Care Subsidy Innovation and Accountability revealed questions, challenges, strategies, and promising practices on the topic of licensing requirements and related requirements for out-of-school time (OST) programs that are license-exempt. Thirty-three states took part in the workgroup, known as a Peer Learning Community, and found that many states work collaboratively with providers and stakeholders to prepare together for changing requirements in licensing and monitoring of licensed and license-exempt programs.  States and Territories use the guidance in the CCDF Final Rule to inform OST licensing, and strengthen the field.

This practice brief, Promising Practices for Out-of-School Time Licensing and License-Exempt Systems, 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.

This document is also available in Spanish.