CA Budget: Family & Education Advocates Applaud
Historic Investment in Afterschool
$1.8 billion, growing to $5 billion, will go to afterschool programs,
but middle and high school students are left out
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2021 — Last week, the California State Legislature approved a budget package that includes historic investments in afterschool and summer programs. $1.8 billion, growing to $5 billion by 2025, will significantly increase access to expanded learning and enrichment opportunities through afterschool and summer programs for the state’s most underserved elementary students. The California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3), a statewide network of over twenty afterschool providers and advocates that collectively serve hundreds of thousands of students in communities across the state, has issued this response:
“For many years we have worked tirelessly to uplift and strengthen the unique value and impact of afterschool and summer programs, and we applaud the governor and legislature’s commitment to investing in and growing afterschool and summer programs so students in the most under-resourced communities have access to expanded learning and enrichment opportunities that help them re-engage with learning, rebuild relationships, and emerge from this pandemic strong, resilient, and hopeful. In this investment, Governor Newsom and the legislature acknowledge the importance of afterschool programs to student learning and development, and the critical services these programs provided children and their families during the height of the pandemic, operating in-person hubs and providing social-emotional and academic support virtually, and reconnecting with students most at risk of disengagement. But many children have been waiting for the opportunity to participate in quality afterschool programs: for every child currently in an afterschool program, there are three waiting to get in. This $1.8 billion expansion, growing to $5 billion, is a historic win for the children and families who haven’t been able to access afterschool and summer programs, and will propel California forward on a path toward educational equity.
The details of the implementation of this additional funding are still unclear and will have a huge impact on kids and staff, but we know that students will be best served if:
California aligns the new system with the existing expanded learning system (the largest in the nation) and moves quickly to plan for sustainability. Much of the additional funding will be spent in the creation of a new expanded learning system. In order to provide quality support to as many students and families as possible without duplicating efforts, California’s various expanded learning programs must be aligned. We have sponsored AB 1112 (Carrillo) that would create a data and stakeholder-informed process to help sustain critical support for students and families, especially when funding changes. This bill and process can also help coordinate and leverage existing and new programs.
Community partners are included in the planning and implementation of expanded learning programs. A majority of school districts in California rely on community-based organizations or municipal/city agencies to run their expanded learning programs. These organizations have proved their deep connections with students and families, as well as their agility in quickly adapting their services since the onset of the pandemic to meet the various and changing needs of their communities. It will take strong partnerships, resources, and coordination to adequately support students now and for years to come.
While we are thrilled that the governor and the legislature have made this massive increase in public funding for afterschool and summer programs, we are deeply concerned that this $5 billion investment to provide a new system of afterschool and summer programs does not include any funding for middle or high school students. The push for publicly funded afterschool through Proposition 49 programs in 2002 started with a focus on middle school students to ensure youth had a safe and engaging place to go between the hours of 3 and 6 PM. Middle and high school students should not be left out of learning, enrichment and skill-building opportunities when the school bell rings and in the summer.
A critical advance in this year’s budget is a badly-needed rate increase for both the After School Education and Safety (ASES) program and the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which have been on the brink of collapse given stagnant rates and rising costs. The new rate, $10.18 per student (from $8.88 for ASES and $7.50 for 21st CCLC) is a big step in the right direction, but the increase only guaranteed for 1-2 years, and falls short of the $10.75 that programs need and that the legislature recommended. We will continue to work with elected officials to ensure these programs can fully cover costs to meet the needs and level of quality all students and families deserve this year and in the future.
Expanded learning programs are critical for students, families, and communities to recover from the pandemic and to address longstanding educational inequities. The commitment to growing these programs is exciting news for the many students and families who have not had access in the past. We also appreciate the state’s commitment to developing a plan to include expanded learning staff in the Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program. With more than 30,000 professionals statewide, the expanded learning workforce provides the state with an opportunity to recruit, build, and retain a high-quality and more diverse teacher workforce. As expanded learning providers and advocates, we want to be sure this investment succeeds in its goals of supporting the students and families who need it most now and for years to come.”
About the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance
California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3) is the statewide voice for expanded learning, including afterschool and summer learning programs. It is the coalition behind the Save Afterschool Campaign and represents the interests of half a million children, youth, and their families that rely on publicly funded expanded learning programs throughout California each day. www.saveafterschool.com
California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance Members
A World Fit for Kids; After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles; arc; Bay Area Community Resources; Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson; California AfterSchool Network; California Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs; California School-Age Consortium; California State Alliance of YMCAs; California Teaching Fellows Foundation; Children Now; Community Youth Ministries; EduCare Foundation; Fight Crime: Invest in Kids; Foundation for California Community Colleges; Heart of Los Angeles; LA's BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program; LA Conservation Corps; Mission: Readiness; Partnership for Children & Youth; Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center; The Children's Initiative; Think Together; Woodcraft Rangers; YMCA of San Diego County
Contact:
Stephanie Pollick, stephanie@partnerforchildren.org