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Starting an Afterschool Program: A Resource Guide
Whether you are a school administrator, a faith-based organization, a family child care provider or any other type of afterschool program developer, this resource guide presents helpful publications and resources as well as a range of considerations as you begin to develop an afterschool program.
The following resources and considerations are intended to assist those who are interested in starting a program to serve school-age children and their families. Additional resources are available on the National Child Care Information Center web site on starting a child care center (http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/starting.html) or family child care program (http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/starfund.html).
Things to Consider
- Estimate/Measure/Assess Supply and Demand in your Community: Your new program is most likely to be successful if it is meeting an identified need in your community. It may be useful to speak to local school officials, parents, or your local child care resource and referral agency to determine where there is a need for a particular type of afterschool program.
- Develop a Vision: Being able to articulate what outcomes you hope to achieve is key to attracting families and supporters. For example, some afterschool programs aim to raise academic scores, while others try to prevent youth violence or to promote healthy youth development.
- Find Funding and Develop Partnerships: You will likely need some start-up funding to get your program off the ground. Learning about various federal, state, or local funds and looking for private and in-kind donations from your community to support your afterschool program is an important piece of getting started.
- Meet State Regulations: States have minimum licensing requirements that apply to programs serving children, including afterschool programs. These requirements typically vary for types of providers, and often include separate requirements for school-age care settings. Contact your state's licensing agency to find out about the requirements in your state.
- Plan High-Quality Activities: There is a growing body of information on curricula and activities for afterschool programs and providers. You can familiarize yourself with some activities and identify local training opportunities to ensure that you have the know-how and resources to serve school-age kids. Many well respected sources are listed below.
State/Local Resources
State Afterschool Profiles :
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/statep.html
The Afterschool Investments project has developed state afterschool profiles for every state. These profiles list major state and local afterschool initiatives and include state-level contacts. Your state profile is a good place to start looking for potential partners or funding sources in your state.
State Child Care Agencies :
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html
State child care agencies can help you to determine whether your program needs to be licensed, and may offer financial support to afterschool programs.
Resource and Referral Agencies :
http://www.childcareaware.org
Local CCR&Rs can refer families needing child care to your program. They also have information on financial assistance and funding opportunities, on existing child care programs in your community, and on how to provide quality child care. Some provide free equipment and information on provider support organizations, training organizations and opportunities, marketing practices, business practices, and more. To learn if there is a CCR&R available to you, contact Child Care Aware at 1-800-424-2246 or through the web site above.
Publications
Afterschool Action Kit, published by the Afterschool Alliance, a useful tool for parents, community members or practitioners, the kit gives advice on finding or starting a quality program, identifying program needs and what resources to tap for help. Available online at http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/ACTIONKT.PDF.
Beyond the Bell: A Toolkit for Creating Effective After-School Programs, second edition, published by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), 2001. This publication provides tools and information in key areas of developing afterschool programs. Order online at http://www.ncrel.org/after/bellkit.htm.
A Resource Guide for Planning and Operating After-School Programs, published by the Southeast Development Lab (SEDL), 2003. This publication provides an annotated resource list to support afterschool program development for school-aged children. Available online at http://www.sedl.org/pubs/fam95.
Web Resources
Afterschool.gov: http://www.afterschool.gov
This federal web site provides a range of resources on funding sources, activities, and resources for afterschool providers.
National AfterSchool Association (NAA): http://www.naaweb.org
NAA promotes national standards of quality school-age care for children and youth 5 to 14 years old, and grants accreditation to programs meeting the standards. The web site includes links to various resources, including state affiliates’ web sites.
National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA): http://www.naccrra.org
NACCRRA is the national network of more than 850 child care resource and referral centers (CCR&Rs) located in every state and most communities across the US. CCR&R centers help families, child care providers, and communities find, provide, and plan for affordable, quality child care.
National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC): http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov
NCCIC, a project of the Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a national resource that links information and people to complement, enhance, and promote the child care delivery system. The web site includes resource lists and other pages dedicated to school-age care and youth development.
National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST): http://www.niost.org
NIOST is a national leader in providing highly interactive, research based training for directors and staff, school administrators, community leaders, and others committed to providing high quality afterschool programs for children and youth. Publications address a variety of topics, from worker compensation to curriculum planning.
Extended-Day Learning Opportunities (EDLO) Online Resource Center: http://www.nsba.org/edlo
The National School Boards Association maintains this clearinghouse of resources to help school leaders implement policies and collaboration strategies to support afterschool programs.
For more information about the Afterschool Investments Project or to submit a request for technical assistance or information, contact The Finance Project at (202) 587-1000 or by email at afterschool@financeproject.org
This resource list is intended for informational purposes only. The Afterschool Investments Project and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services do not endorse any organization, publication, or resource.
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