Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/federal-funding-for-school-aged-care-current-programs-and-ways-to-improve-care/5026690/
Before- and afterschool programs play a critical role in keeping school-aged children safe, supporting their development, and helping working families—especially those that work non-traditional hours. We know that the need for before- and afterschool care is greater than the available supply. Data from the Afterschool Alliance shows that nearly 25 million students cannot access afterschool programs, with availability and expense cited as the primary obstacles to participation. As a result of these barriers, 7.7 million children are alone and unsupervised after school.
The federal government provides some assistance to help families with school-aged children afford care: the Child Care and Development Block Grant, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
Federal child care assistance provided through CCDBG can be used to support care for children up to the age of 13. Preliminary data from HHS shows that in 2019, 34 percent of those children benefiting from federal child care assistance were between 6 and 13 years old—roughly 470,000 of the 1.4 million children served. This age group is also the most likely to be served in a home-based setting. 21st CCLC provides more than ...