CA Budget: California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance Responds to State Budget for FY 23-24
July 6, 2023
In response to the Governor’s and Legislature’s negotiated budget agreement for 2023-24, the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3) issued this statement:
We appreciate the Governor's and Legislature’s recognition and ongoing commitment to expanded learning (afterschool and summer learning programs) as a central strategy to close opportunity gaps and implement the California for All Kids plan. With this updated budget, the Governor and Legislature keep their promise to students and families across the state by maintaining $4 billion in ongoing funding for the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P). “That $4B commitment, unprecedented—to fully fund before and afterschool, and reimagining the school year and school day—that full commitment continues," the Governor said while highlighting these investments.
We commend the Governor and Legislature for Protecting Our Progress. As ELO-P ramps up, we are seeing success and innovation: districts are serving significantly more kids after school, in the summer, and during other school breaks; parents are no longer contending with long waitlists; and students have more access to academic and social-emotional support and enrichment opportunities like sports, robotics, cooking, arts, music, and many more activities than ever before. Programs help re-engage students and their families in school and provide safe spaces for learning and play.
This much-needed funding is new, and school districts and community partners need time, resources, and technical assistance to blend and braid ELO-P with existing afterschool and summer learning funding, as well as strengthen their infrastructure in order to expand and create the most impactful programs possible. For some districts, ELO-P is the only public funding stream for these programs and they are building programs for the first time.
We support the Governor’s proposal to give school districts an additional year to use their initial ELO-P funding, and stress the importance of collecting data on the impact of expanding learning investments. It is essential that the state put in place assurances that this money is used for its intended purpose of providing hundreds of hours of additional learning time and enrichment programming for kids after the school day ends, especially for those who would not otherwise have access. It is critical to collect statewide information on the impact of ELO-P and how it is blending and braiding with existing afterschool funding to provide one comprehensive program for the students who need it most. This data collection can also help expanded learning integrate with the school day and other whole-child initiatives such as universal pre-kindergarten and community schools.
We also commend the Governor and Legislature for providing critical cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for educators and child care providers to honor the workforce and better meet the needs of students and families. Expanded learning workers are essential too, and the state cannot leave them behind. Unfortunately, existing afterschool programs, through the After School Education and Safety (ASES) and 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) programs, were left out of the 8.22% COLA given for the Local Control Funding Formula, child care, and nearly all other educational categorical programs.
The biggest challenge in implementing ELO-P is the workforce shortage—program providers are working hard to retain and build their workforce in the face of increased inflation and cost of living, and are struggling to keep and find talented staff without being able to offer competitive wages. Expanded learning programs compete for young workers against industries that are able to pass the increased costs onto customers, such as retail and fast food. Expanded learning providers receive relatively flat funding without regular COLAs and have limited options to absorb increased costs. This creates a revolving door of workers, which is not in the best interest of children, who need consistency and high-quality care. Like child care programs, expanded learning programs enable parents to remain in the workforce while supporting and engaging children and youth in safe settings with caring adults, but funding rates have not kept up with rising costs to meet demand.
Students from elementary through high school are still struggling from the effects and trauma of the pandemic. They are relying on us to keep our promises to help them recover and thrive by maintaining and expanding the programs that have positive effects on their learning, health, and wellness. We are grateful that the Governor and the Legislature understand the value of expanded learning programs. We must now work together to ensure that this investment is successful and help school districts and program providers with the massive undertaking of implementation.
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA AFTERSCHOOL ADVOCACY ALLIANCE
California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3) is the statewide voice for expanded learning, including afterschool and summer learning programs. CA3 is a coalition of 35 expanded learning providers and intermediaries from across the state representing the interests of hundreds of thousands of children, youth, and families who rely on publicly funded expanded learning programs throughout California, as well as the vibrant and dynamic workforce that makes these programs so special. ca3advocacy.com
CALIFORNIA AFTERSCHOOL ADVOCACY ALLIANCE MEMBERS
A World Fit for Kids; After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles; arc; BASE Programs; Bay Area Community Resources; Bright Futures for Youth; 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; EDMO; EduCare Foundation; Envisioneers; Fight Crime: Invest in Kids; Great Public Schools Now; Heart of Los Angeles; Innovate Public Schools; InPlay; Keep Youth Doing Something Inc.; LA's BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program; LA Boys and Girls Clubs Collaborative; LA Conservation Corps; LA STEM Collective; Mission: Readiness; Partnership for Children & Youth; Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center; STAR Inc.; Team Prime Time; The Children's Initiative; Think Together; Woodcraft Rangers; YMCA of San Diego County
Contact
Jen Dietrich, jdietrich@partnerforchildren.org, (510) 830-4200 x1615