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Recovery.gov LogoAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009

The Opportunity of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) For Afterschool Programs

Printable versions are available in Word (97 KB) and PDF (74 KB) format.

Funding Source

Administering Agency

Amount of Funding

Timing

How to Access Funding

Child Care and Development Block Grant provides funding to assist low-income families with child care.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

For more information about this funding stream, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ ARRA website at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/initiatives/arra/index.htm

$2 billion

A State–by-State funding map is available at:

http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/acf/childcaremap.html

Funds were released in April 2009.

Funds do not require a State match.

Funds must be obligated by September 2010 and spent by June 30, 2011 in line with current regulations.

The State lead agency determines funding priorities. Providers can contact the lead agency for more information.

Lead agency contact information can be found at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

 

Title I Grants to LEAs provide funding to help meet the needs of low-achieving students in high poverty schools.

U.S. Department of Education

For more information about this funding stream, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s ARRA website at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html

PHASE I
$5 billion in grants to local educational agencies (LEAs)

PHASE II
$5 billion in grants to LEAs

PHASE I
March 2009

PHASE II
Fall 2009

Eligible schools can contact their LEA for information on subgrants.

State educational agency (SEA) contact information can be found at: http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_ID=SEA

What Works and Innovation Fund provides funding to expand initiatives that have proven to be successful at closing the achievement gap.

U.S. Department of Education

For more information about this funding stream, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s ARRA website at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html

$650 million

Grants will be available in winter 2010.

LEAs and non-profit organizations (in partnership with an LEA or consortium of schools) can apply for funds directly from the U.S. Department of Education.

Enhancing Education Through Technology provides funding to improve student achievement through the use of technology in schools. The program is designed to ensure that every student is technologically literate by the end of eighth grade, and to encourage the successful integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development to establish successful research-based instructional methods.

U.S. Department of Education

For more information about this funding stream, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s ARRA website at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html

$650 million distributed to States based on their proportionate share of funding under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Grants will be made to States on July 1, 2009.

Funds must be obligated by September 30, 2011.

States must distribute at least 95 percent of their allocation by formula or competitively to LEAs and eligible partnerships. Each LEA and eligible entity that receives funds under this program must use at least 25 percent of its funds to provide professional development.

SEA contact information can be found at: http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_ID=SEA

 

Corporation for National and Community Service provides funding for approximately 13,000 additional AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps VISTA members.

Corporation for National and Community Service

For more information about this funding stream, visit the Corporation for National and Community Service’s ARRA website at: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/recovery/index.asp.

$100 million will be awarded competitively to existing grantees.

$50 million will be distributed to State service commissions based on population; States will then select subgrant recipients.

The Grants Notice was posted on March 10, 2009.

The closing date was April 3, 2009.

Providers can contact their Corporation for National and Community Service State service commission to apply for AmeriCorps VISTA members.

State service commission contact information can be found at:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact/statecommission.asp

 

Workforce Investment Act Youth Training and Employment Services provides funding for low-income youth ages 14-24 to acquire skills, training, and support to achieve academic and employment success, with a focus on creating summer employment opportunities.

U.S. Department of Labor

For more information about this funding stream, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s ARRA website at: http://www.dol.gov/Recovery/.

$1.2 billion total for youth activities

States may develop an estimate of the funds they will receive based on their historic percentage of WIA funds applied against the total.

Funds were made available in March 2009.

Funds must be obligated by September 2010, and spent by June 30, 2011 in line with current regulations.

Provides can contact their Local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and their youth council, who oversee the distribution of WIA funding.

Local WIB contact information can be found at: http://www.nawb.org/WorkforceBoardWebSites/tabid/167/Default.aspx

 

 

Considerations for Afterschool Providers Preparing to Access ARRA Funds

  1. Focus Your Efforts. Identify priorities in your program’s mission and goals in consideration of the anticipated funding opportunities included in the economic stimulus plans. Meet with key policy makers and stakeholders, including your program’s advisory board or board of directors, to review program goals and finances. While it may be tempting to seek out all relevant funding opportunities, a purposeful matching of your program’s goals and focus with the criteria for new funding may help to increase your program’s ability to access competitive discretionary funds or strengthening partnerships with State agencies that administer formula grant funds.
  2. Recognize the Short-Term Nature of ARRA Funding. Short-term funding is most appropriate for expanding capacity to deliver services, spurring innovation, and building and enhancing infrastructure. While these funds can fill critical gaps, they do not offer long-term support for expansion of services. Thus, it will be important for programs to think about what other funding sources can be blended to help sustain ARRA investments.
  3. Demonstrate Impact. Given the size of the federal stimulus funding and public concern regarding the oversight of federal economic investments, ARRA funding will be subject to unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency. Afterschool programs and partners with data collection capacity and a demonstrated record of success may be able to compete more effectively for stimulus funds.Review past successful grant applications and proposals and ensure evaluation and outcome data are valid, reliable, and up-to-date.
  4. Prepare Ahead. Create an electronic grants application account in preparation for applying for federal funds. For federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education, the portal for electronic grants is found at: https://e-grants.ed.gov/. For federal grant applications from other federal agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture or the Department of Health and Human Services, the portal is found at Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/). Applications for federal discretionary grants must be made through the appropriate electronic grants system. Applicants must have an active account on the system to apply. Allow time for the processing of your application: the Grants.gov site indicates that “the registration process for an Organization or an Individual can take between three to five business days, or as long as two weeks.” Also note that the system occasionally experiences difficulty during times of increased demand.  
  5. Leverage Additional Funding. Grantees that are able to demonstrate strong management practices and successful programmatic outcomes with the ARRA funds may be well-positioned for future funding opportunities. The vast majority of ARRA funding is allocated through existing federal formula/block and discretionary grant programs, such as Title I of the ESEA, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and AmeriCorps, among others. For example, the recent enactment of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act reauthorized and expanded national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, including an increase in AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 positions, which may provide additional staff for afterschool programs.
  6. Collaborate. Establish relationships with local school systems and community-based and faith-based partners. Schedule strategic meetings to discuss potential federal funding opportunities and areas for possible collaboration. Consider reserving time on key staff people’s calendars to develop proposal components, including letters of support.
  7. Get Information. Consult federal websites for up-to-date information on how, when, and where the ARRA funds will be spent in your State, territory or Tribe (see below for a list of online resources). Programs can also monitor Federal Register notices for grant announcements and funding opportunities as they are released.

Additional Federal Government Resources on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding

 

Last Modified $Date: 2009/07/09 14:49:27 $