The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

• CCDF Administrative Overview

• Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

• Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
Funds may be used for consumer education, professional development and training, and services for children with special needs.

Other quality activities:
Funds may be used to provide a flexible subsidy system to promote continuity of child care; to provide transportation to afterschool programs; and to expand school-age programs in the summer and during nontraditional hours. Funds are also used to conduct criminal background checks on school-age care staff. Recently, funds have also been used to develop an online Child Care Information Management System (e-CCIMS), which will automate the process of eligibility, attendance, billing, and waitlists for all providers, including school-age care staff. Lastly, the state’s Office of Child Care Services may also train school-age providers to use the School Age Child Care Rating Scale (SACCRS) to assess the quality of their programs and identify areas for improvement.

• Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
Four reimbursement tiers are available to child care providers plus a stipend option, which is available based on their participation in four quality initiatives. These initiatives include literacy development, enhancing program quality, professional development, and participating in a longitudinal research study to assess program elements associated with favorable child outcomes.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

• Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (MAP). The Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (MAP) is a partnership of public and private organizations dedicated to advancing high quality afterschool and summer programs for youth. MAP endeavors to:

  • Increase public and private resources for programs;
  • Help ensure that children and families have access to high-quality educational opportunities and safe environments;
  • Forge alliances among existing programs and stakeholders; and
  • Build upon best practices.

  MAP is funded by the C.S. Mott Foundation and other public and private partners. MAP is currently undertaking efforts to build a statewide network of organizations and programs to advance sustainability and quality of programs for children with afterschool needs. This work will include developing public policy and legislative approaches to support the field, helping bridge communication gaps among organizations, sharing best practices, and heightening awareness of the work being done across the state on behalf of children, youth and families.

  In 2005-2006, MAP worked closely with state policymakers and their partners to establish a legislative Commission on afterschool and out-of-school time and to restore afterschool funding in the state budget. This commission’s charge is to undertake a study on how to better coordinate, expand and finance afterschool programs in the Commonwealth. The Commission is expected to convene in the Fall of 2007. In 2006-2007, MAP worked with the legislature and Governor to restore $1 million in new state afterschool funding at the Department of Education. Finally, on May 30, 2006, MAP worked with the Governor’s Office to hold the first Governor’s Summit on Afterschool & Extended Learning Opportunities.

  For more information, see www.massafterschool.org.

• Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study (MARS). Using Child Care and Development Fund dollars, the Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services (now the Department of Early Education and Care) collaborating with the state’s Department of Education and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay to conduct the Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study (MARS). This statewide study confirms that better paid and better trained staff spend more quality activity time with children, which is the single most important factor in the success of an after-school program. The study was the largest of its kind in Massachusetts and is based on research of after-school programs serving elementary and middle school youth from ten communities across the state. This information can be used to help funders target resources, help providers make ongoing quality improvements, and give policymakers a reliable foundation on which to base their commitment to afterschool.

  For more information, see www.uwmb.org/product-pages/mars/index.html.

• Expanded Learning Time Initiative. In the FY 2006 state budget, the legislature approved funding to support districts and schools to redesign their school schedule to include more enrichment programs more individualized and small group instruction, and more professional development time for teachers. Planning grants were made available through a competitive RFP process to assist districts with the complex planning required to redesign the school day. Districts awarded grants will use the money to work with principals and school teams, collective bargaining units, and external partners to develop an implementation plan for how to extend time and restructure the school day. Districts that participate in the planning grant programs are eligible for state funding for implementation of these plans. If fully funded in the FY 2007 state budget, this program will allow districts to implement the plans they created.

  For more information, see www.mass2020.org/projects.elt.html.

• Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Office of Adolescent Health and Youth Development funds six science-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in select high-risk communities in Massachusetts. Community-based agencies and community health centers are replicating science-based programs in an effort to prevent teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and too-early sexual activity among youth ages 10 to 19. Among the programs being replicated include "Poder Latino," "Making Proud Choices" and "Teen Outreach Program," a comprehensive service- learning program. Two rural teen pregnancy prevention coalitions in Berkshire County and in the North Quabbin Region also support the implementation of science-based programs and strategies to prevent teen pregnancy, including afterschool services. In FY 2005, 6,100 youth and 2,900 families received direct services through these programs.

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Boston After School & Beyond (Boston Beyond). Boston Beyond was formed in 2004 as the successor to Boston's After-School for All Partnership and the Boston 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative. Boston Beyond is a public/private partnership to organize the many networks and organizations that make up the Out-of-School Time (OST) field into a coherent system with the goal of expanding access to high-quality programming for all of Boston's families. In the spring of 2003, Boston’s After-School for All Partnership launched a year-long planning process, funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to solicit input from more than 85 stakeholders and develop a plan for strengthening Boston’s system of out-of-school time programs. Boston After School & Beyond is a direct result of the process.

• Achieve Boston. Achieve Boston is a collaborative effort to create a professional development system for afterschool and youth workers. The key components of this system include skill and knowledge standards, a training curriculum, and a career lattice with associated compensation levels tied to experience, education and training. By building this system, Achieve Boston hopes to help better serve children, youth and families. In 2004, Achieve Boston published a "Blueprint for Action," describing such a professional development system in detail. In January 2007, Achieve Boston will take a significant step in implementing the Blueprint by launching a pilot training program for afterschool and youth workers seeking to enhance their skills and further their careers.

• Brockton Task Force on Afterschool Programs. In 1994, the mayor created the Mayor’s Task Force on Afterschool Programs to strengthen the local afterschool infrastructure and it now includes a broad membership of program providers, parents, law enforcement personnel, school personnel and other invested in afterschool programming. The Task Force currently focuses on professional development and sustainability and has completed their own Brockton Program Standards based on the school district’s standards, and also revised the Individual Professional Development Plan. Brockton is a City of Promise under the America’s Promise program, and the Task Force is the site for the Safe Places Promise.

• New Bedford Invest in Kids: New Bedford was one of 11 cities that received funding through the Targeted Cities Initiative in 1999 to help at-risk kids in high-risk neighborhoods. Since this initial investment, there has been a significant effort to increase local city funding for this initiative through the mayor’s Invest in Kids program. Currently in its fourth year, Invest in Kids serves 21 elementary and middle schools and provides activities such as tutoring, mentoring, and art.

• YouthNet: Growing concerns about youth violence and gang activity led eight youth agencies to partner with the city of Worcester to develop a network of free programs for youth ages 11 to 15. Subsidized through businesses and community donations, YouthNet engages young people by giving them the opportunity to design and implement each of its programs. Activities range from community service projects to leadership seminars. Since 1992 over 7,000 young people have been involved in the program.

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

Massachusetts School-Age Coalition
1137 Washington Street
Dorchester, MA 02124
Phone: 617-326-1400
Fax: 617-298-5371
Web: http://www.mass-sac.org/

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

Massachusetts Child Care Resource and Referral Network
c/o Child Care Circuit
190 Hampshire Street
Lawrence, MA 08140
Phone: 978-722-2529 or 800-660-2868
Fax: 978-685-5165
Email: info@childcarecircuit.org
Web: http://www2.childcarecircuit.org/

Statewide Afterschool Network:

Massachusetts After-School Partnership
1250 Hancock St., Suite 205N
Quincy, Massachusetts 2169
Phone: 781-348-4275
Web: http://www.massafterschool.org/

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/tanf-dir.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2006, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. The federal Title I program provides funding to local school districts and schools with high percentages of poor children to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY06 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY06 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

FFY05 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY05 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY05.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rate listed applies to center-based care; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2006-2007. State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for part-time vs. full time and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2006-2007.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY05 that were awarded in FY05 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2005 Child Care Licensing Study, available at http://www.nara.affiniscape.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=104.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

Number of NAA-accredited programs: Data from the National AfterSchool Association, March 2007, available at: http://www.naaweb.org.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 converted the 21st Century Community Learning Centers’ authority to a state formula grant. In past years, the U.S. Department of Education made competitive awards directly to school districts. Under the reauthorized law, funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. States use their allocations to make competitive awards to eligible entities. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project and their partner, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

National Governors Association
Center for Best Practices
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-624-5300
Web: www.nga.org

The Afterschool Investments project’s State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.