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 resource and referral agencies that provide school-age appropriate materials to providers. Funds may also support scholarships and stipends, through the T.E.A.C.H. and R.E.W.A.R.D. programs, for school-age care providers interested in furthering their education in the field.

Other quality activities:
The Department has developed School Age Certification Rules: Chapter DWD 55 Day Care Certification, 55.09 Standards for School Age Programs. Through the Wisconsin Child Care Information Center (CCIC), a wealth of materials is available to providers of school-age programs and other child care professionals.  CCIC’s collection includes articles, books, magazines and videos on a variety of school age topics.  For further information about CCIC, see Section 1.5 Wisconsin Child Care Information Center Contract.

• Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
Wisconsin reimburses accredited programs up to 10% higher than the reimbursement rate, if their rates are higher than the published rate.

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

• Wisconsin Afterschool Network (WAN). In 2005, Wisconsin received a grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation to expand the Wisconsin Afterschool Network (WAN). WAN is a public/private partnership of over 100 local and state organizations and 275 individuals. Wisconsin was also awarded a grant by the National Governor’s Association to host a Governor’s Summit on After School Programs on February 7, 2006 that was attended by 195 key stakeholders. WAN goals include creating a sustainable structure of statewide, regional, local and school-community partnerships focused on supporting high quality afterschool programs; supporting the development and growth of statewide policies that will secure the resources that are needed to sustain new and existing afterschool programs; supporting statewide systems to ensure programs are of high quality. Major accomplishments of WAN include: creating a communication system that includes a list-serve, website and web based password protected work space; developing a policy agenda along with a budget proposal for the 2007-09 Wisconsin Biennial State Budget; creating a Continuous Improvement Process for Afterschool Programs (CIPAS) assessment tool that was used to train over 35 staff, who then used it to review nine afterschool sites; forming a consensus on seven Guiding Principles for Afterschool Programs and a WAN Governance Structure; empowering the WAN State Leadership Team to take on key leadership roles as well as begin to create a WAN sustainability plan.

  For more information see: http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/wan.html

• Wisconsin AfterSchool Association. An Affiliate of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) The Wisconsin AfterSchool Association (WAA) is the professional membership association for all providers of out- of-school-time serving the diverse needs of Wisconsin’s children, youth and families. The Wisconsin AfterSchool Association promotes quality initiatives through the National Standards for after school care and the NAA Accreditation system. The Association hosts an annual state conference, administers the school-age credential, publishes a quarterly newsletter and supports public policy and advocacy on the state and national levels.

  The Wisconsin AfterSchool Association is an active partner in the Wisconsin Afterschool Network playing an integral role on the State Leadership Team and on the Network’s Public Policy and Program Quality and Training Committees.

• The Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project is operated statewide by a non-profit organization that provides technical assistance to child care providers in Wisconsin. Through their Wisconsin School-Age Initiative, communities are supported through resources, tip sheets and technical assistance to start and expand school-age care programs. School-age care providers are eligible for scholarships and stipends to further their education. (These programs use the T.E.A.C.H.® [Teacher Education and Compensation Helps] scholarships and the R.E.W.A.R.D™ [Rewarding Education With Wages and Respect for dedication] Stipend model).

• Wisconsin Community Education Association (WCEA). In 1979, the University of Wisconsin Extension Services and the Wisconsin Technical College System signed a "memorandum of understanding" with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to promote the use of schools as community learning centers. Though not backed with legislation or formal funding, this agreement led to great expansion of collaborative learning activities for school-age children and youth using public schools and community-based centers in the state. Currently, over 65 community education programs and over 200 afterschool programs work closely with the Wisconsin Technical College System and the University of Wisconsin Extension Services.

  For more information, see http://www.wi-communityed.org.

• Community Youth Grants. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development provides grants to Boys and Girls Club sites throughout the state. The objectives of the program are to provide extra learning opportunities, with a particular focus on gang prevention. It is open to low-income, TANF eligible youth 5-18 years old. In SFY 05-07, this effort is supported with $300,000 from TANF funds.

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Voyagers Community Learning Center Afterschool Partnership. In the fall of 2005, Voyagers Community Learning Center, part of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District, Boys Scouts of America: Chippewa Valley Council, Girl Scouts of American Indian Waters Council and Chippewa County 4-H Youth Development Program created a partnership to provide after school activities to middle school youth. The partnership offers the ability to provide more options for youth and parents, to share resources and decrease duplication of services with a coordinated effort to provide after school activities; middle school students who enroll in approved Voyagers courses are eligible to earn credit towards badges and fair projects during the after school time. The Voyagers AmeriCorps Member coordinates staff and volunteers and provides support to make this partnership work.

• UWM Children’s Center After-School Enrichment Program. The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Children’s Center, a licensed child care program accredited by NAEYC, has established a successful collaborative with the neighboring Milwaukee Public School’s elementary school, Hartford University School. Families have an excellent child care option, which incorporates an Academic Enrichment Program and child care for their child (ages 4-13) after school. The program starts with Homework Power Hour at Hartford University School from 2:15-3:30 p.m. and includes a healthy snack. Students have the use of the school library and computer lab. A licensed teacher and UWM student staff assist students in getting started with their homework and provide individual and small group help. Educational games, books, and computer programs are available for those students who finish their homework early.

  The program continues with activities and Academic Enrichment Classes at the UWM Children’s Center, which is located a block away from the elementary school. Activities include (but are not limited to) art, sports, board games, and woodworking.

  The program depends on parent user fees. The Children’s Center receives US Department of Education CCAMPIS funds, which provides a substantial discount to all income-eligible UWM student parents. Families who are eligible may receive tuition assistance through W-2 and the Wisconsin Shares Program.

• 21st Century Community Learning Centers at Gresham. Gresham school is a K-12 building serving approximately 330 students. It is extremely rural and disconnected from many programs and services traditionally available in larger communities and school districts. A true sense of "community" is necessary for this community leaning center to thrive. Approximately 20 students report each morning before school for homework help. Over 50 students remain each evening after school is dismissed for additional homework help and academic enrichment activities. Among these offerings are "Bean Sprouts" learning club for elementary students, tutoring help with well-trained and highly motivated high school age peer tutors, and exploratories such as German heritage day and "lego" wars. In addition to a nutritious snack and recreational activities, Gresham school offers monthly family sessions where literacy and other learning opportunities can be explored. The CLC is open for a minimum of 13 hours, and a maximum of 19 hours per week during the school year. Strategies used in the academic enrichment services include Reading Recovery, 6+1 traits Writing, Literature Circles, AIMS Math and Science strategies, FOSS Science System, Everyday Math, and Math Thematics. The Stockbridge Munsee Tribe, Shawano County Extension, and Junior Achievement Clubs are all partners with the Gresham School’s CLC.

• Lincoln County After the Bell 4-H Afterschool. In 2005, almost 2,000 youth were enrolled in 4-H Afterschool programs in 27 Wisconsin counties. Each program is unique and designed to fit local needs and resources. For example in Merrill, WI, middle school youth were either hanging out at the public library or at a skate park. Lincoln County UW-Extension worked with 12 community organizations to address this need by starting a 4-H after school program in 2004 with 68 Merrill middle school students – an average of 12 a day. In the 2005-06 school year, participation increased to 110 youth with an average of 20 students per day. Organizers added a tutoring program with high school students and adult volunteers tutoring 31 of the after-school participants. Organizers have raised more than $26,000 in grants as well as donations of activity supplies, snacks and a refrigerator. 4-H Ambassadors, a county youth leader group, have offered monthly programs at each of the after school sites.

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

Wisconsin AfterSchool Association
PO Box 1554
Madison, WI 53701-1154
Phone: 414-229-5384

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

Wisconsin Child Care Resource & Referral Network,
5 Odana Court
Madison, WI 53719
Phone: 608-271-1230
Web: www.wisconsinccrr.org

Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project

2109 S. Stoughton Road
Madison, WI 53716
Phone: 608-224-5341
Web: www.wccip.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.