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:

• support regional grants to providers working with school-agers that are administered by local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies
  
• be used to develop, deliver, align  and coordinate statewide training, accreditation support, and technical assistance, to support a statewide system of professional development and training.

Other quality activities:
Youth Community Connections (YCC) is leading the effort to coordinate and build systems of training and mentoring that are aligned with the DHS Child Care Professional Development System.

• Provider Reimbursement Rates

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

• Youth Community Connections (YCC). Youth Community Connections (YCC) is an alliance of public and private organizations dedicated to the belief that all Minnesota communities must ensure options to help children and youth learn, develop, and contribute during non-school hours. This collaborative organization promotes child and youth development by supporting afterschool and community-based out-of-school time programs and opportunities for youth ages 5-18. Over 250 organizations interact and meet collectively in work groups to make this vision a reality. The YCC works with financial support from the Child Care and Development Fund school-age care funds, 21st Century administration funds, and the McKnight Foundation among others. A Public/Private Leadership Team is guiding and supporting the activities of YCC. The following work groups are supported by YCC:

  • The Policy Work Group collaboratively developed a set of policy principles and a comprehensive policy platform that will guide YCC’s advocacy efforts. A Call to Action document to encourage partner organizations to get involved and advocate for afterschool and community-based programs in their communities.

  • The Communications and Advocacy Work Group developed key messages that support child and youth development through afterschool and community-based out-of-school time opportunities. These messages are being used to lead discussions about the important afterschool plays for children as well as working families.

  • The Field Support Work Group has been working on quality improvement initiatives for programs serving children and youth and quality (or skills, knowledge and abilities) of people working with children and youth ages 10-18. While YCC’s overall target age is 5-18 year olds, it has purposefully narrowed its focus around quality issues to complement the work of the early childhood and school age care fields around professional development. National research has proven the point of interaction between the child/youth and adult is what determines the quality of the care and experiences a young person receives. YCC and its partners have responded to the research to ensure we have well-informed and trained volunteers and quality professionals working with children and youth ages 10-18. This response has generated a plan to develop a professional development system that supports the development of individuals working with older children and youth.

  • The Resources and Data Work Group identifies resource and data needs for the field of afterschool. The Work Group is providing guidance on two major studies. The first study is being called the Gaps Analysis and the second study is called the Cost Study.

• Gaps Analysis Study. Co-sponsored by YCC and the Center for 4-H Youth Development’s Applied Research Collaborative at the University of Minnesota’s Extension Service, the Gaps Analysis Study will examine MN specific data on after school and out-of-school time programs and opportunities, and conduct a parent perception survey that will answer the question of whether or not the current supply of after school/out-of-school time opportunities meets the needs and demands of parents. Subsequent phases will include a youth survey that will identify what and why youth seek certain out-of-school time opportunities, and a provider survey that will help determine what actual programs, services and opportunities are available in communities across the state.

• Cost Estimate Study. YCC will begin to outline the costs of delivering quality after school and out-of-school time opportunities as a first step of the Cost Estimate Study. The present phase is centered on how to select sites to assist in the data gathering. YCC is coordinating with other statewide out-of-school time collaborative efforts and receive technical assistance from the Finance Project, who has been funded to do a two year study on determining the costs of delivering quality youth programs during the non-school hours.

  For more information, see www.youthcommunityconnections.org

• Minnesota Commission on Out-of-School Time. The Commission, part of the University of Minnesota Presidential Initiative on Children, Youth, and Families, was convened by the University of Minnesota President in January 2004, with the charge to create a vision and strategies necessary to ensure Minnesota’s young people have engaging opportunities to learn and grow in non-school hours. The Commission was comprised of experts from a variety of fields including business, philanthropy, higher education, and community. Commissioners studied national and state research findings, identifying a vision for out-of-school time (OST) in Minnesota as well as issues facing young people, their families, program providers and policymakers, and a series of recommendations contained in a final report to be released in June 2005. A series of research briefs was prepared by Commission staff to inform the Commission’s deliberations in key thematic areas. The Minnesota Out-of-School Time Partnership has supported the work of the Commission and will assume leadership for addressing priority areas in Commission recommendations moving forward.

  For more information, see www.mncost.org

• Local Levy Authority for Special Needs Care. The Minnesota Department of Education grants local levy authority to school districts offering school-age care programs for the additional costs of providing services to children with disabilities or experiencing family problems. Families eligible for Child Care Assistance Program subsidies may use them for this program. The Minnesota Department of Education provides additional aid to districts that have a limited ability to raise local funds.

• Community Education. Minnesota’s Community Education program promotes lifelong learning and community involvement through a range of activities, including school-age programs. Community Education is managed independently by each school district generating revenue from user fees, grants, and state and local taxes. Youth programs including leadership development and service, creative expression, life skills, school-age care and academic support provide rich experiences where young people build relationships with peers and adults, make community connections, explore areas of interest and improve academic performance. In 2002, legislation passed allowing districts to levy for youth afterschool programs targeting high-risk times and emphasizing leadership development and academic improvement.

• Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance (MNSACA). Within the Minnesota early childhood and school-age care and education field, MNSACA is the primary support and resource for school-age care programs. It also serves to connect early childhood and the broader OST fields. In cooperation with Minnesota’s Department of Human Services and the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) system, it provides comprehensive, accessible professional development and training opportunities and an integrated system of program improvement and accreditation for those who work with school-age youth. MNSACA serves as the North Central Regional Point Affiliate for the National After School Association for regional accreditation support. It is also instrumental in expanding practitioner core competencies and child indicators of progress to include school-age youth. MNSACA’s mission is to promote quality OST programs and support the leadership and development of OST professionals.

  For more information, see www.mnsaca.org

• Eager to Learn (ETL). ETL is a nationally-recognized online training delivered through the Minnesota CCR&R system that includes training opportunities that are specific to practitioners working with school-age youth.

  For more information, see etl.mnchildcare.org

• Center for 4-H Youth Development. The Center for 4-H Youth Development and its statewide staff of educators and program coordinators are dedicated to making a measurable difference in the quality, availability, and impact of out-of-school opportunities for youth ages 6 to 18. Efforts include both direct service programs such as 4-H clubs and Adventure Programs as well as Community Youth Development initiatives. The Minnesota Youth Work Institute provides education/training and technical assistance opportunities for volunteers and professionals working with youth as well as field-building and network/collaboration support for communities. New afterschool and summer programs in partnership with Native American reservations and public housing sites are underway, and the Center recently launched a series of research and policy symposia on out-of-school time opportunities, including discussion guides for communities.

  For more information see www.mn4H.org or www.mnywinsitute.org

• Professional Development for Practitioners working with school-age youth. The Department of Human Services has a contract with MNSACA to develop and implement strategies coordinated with the state’s professional development system that will improve and strengthen the quality and care available to school-age youth and their families. The effort integrates mentoring support into system delivery. Products will include a self-assessment template for programs and practitioners to determine training needs and a sequence of program improvement training from entry level through accreditation. The online School Age/Youth Professional Development Center, available at www.mnsaca.org/trainings_trainers.html, provides resources to providers, including links to professional development opportunities, mentoring, and networking programs.

• Program Improvement and Accreditation (PIA) The Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance (MNSACA) coordinates this effort that is partially funded by the Department of Human Services using Child Care and Development Fund dollars. The purpose is to further develop a School-Age Child Development Resource Network to support coordination of an integrated and accessible system of program improvement for those who work with school-age youth. Emphasis is placed on preparing and supporting programs through the accreditation process. Additionally, MNSACA offers regional trainings, a statewide annual conference, and other resources on quality out-of-school time programs.

  For more information, see www.mnsaca.org/trainings_trainers.html

• Minnesota Alliance with Youth. This statewide organization is affiliated with America’s Promise, a national organization that aims to promote access to five "promises": safe places, mentoring, children’s health, and opportunities to learn and to give back to the community. The Alliance works with private sector partners to promote youth programs that offer safe places and structured activities during non-school hours.

  For more information, see www.mnyouth.org

• McKnight Foundation. The Minnesota-based foundation funds out-of-school time programs run by community-based organizations. The Foundation also supports the Minnesota Youth Work Institute, a university-based professional development initiative to provide training for adults working with young people.

  For more information, see www.mcknight.org

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Minneapolis Beacons. The Minneapolis Beacons Project is a collaboration between schools, families, and community-based organizations led by the Minneapolis YMCA. Beacons make use of existing community resources to provide programs to promote academic enrichment and personal development.

• Minneapolis Recreation Plus. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board established the Recreation Plus program to serve low-income children, primarily those from non-traditional and single-parent families. The program operates afterschool, before school, during school release, and summer break. It is coordinated by a certified care provider and includes social, cultural, art, physical, and environmental activities in neighborhood park facilities. A Parent Advisory Council contributes to the development of the program and provides a strong base of support. On early release days and during vacation periods, the full-day program includes field trips and special events. The city entered into an agreement with the school district to allow buses to transport children from school to 23 park sites, which accommodate 500 children during the school year and 700 during the summer.

• Kids PLUS Program. Funded by the Northland Foundation, the Kids PLUS Program has engaged young people and adults in the process of identifying the needs of children and their families in a seven-county area in northeastern Minnesota. Twenty-six communities have developed over 230 programs for children and youth over the past 11 years.

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance
1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 252
St. Paul, MN 55114-1067
Phone: 651-203-7157
Web:  www.mnsaca.org

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

Child Care Resource and Referral Network
380 Lafayette Road, Suite 103
St Paul, MN 55107
Phone: 651-290-9704
Web: www.mnchildcare.org/index.html

Statewide Afterschool Network:

Youth Community Connections: Minnesota Partners for Healthy  Youth Development
270B McNamara Alumni Center
200 Oak St., SE 55455
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Phone: 612-626-3513
Fax: 612-624-6905
Web: http://www.youthcommunityconnection.org/

Other Statewide Organizations:

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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.