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The Child Care Partnership Project South Dakota: Out-of-School Time Grants |
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Description Can seed money jumpstart collaboration? In South Dakota, the answer seems to be "yes!" In 1997, the Governor challenged school officials to collaborate with communities and build programs that positively impact children during their out-of-school time (OST). In order to leverage community resources and utilize school buildings to deliver services, he made $700,000 available as seed money for schools and communities to develop and implement their own OST programs. These incentive grants last only 3 years and require recipients to raise matching funds. Partners The South Dakota Office of Child Care Services (CCS) provides funding to schools and/or private nonprofit organizations in communities that partner to provide OST programs. Examples of such partners are individual schools, school districts, YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, local United Way organizations, teen centers, and churches. History and Development Partnerships function at two levels in this initiative. CCS helps schools develop partnerships and initiate programs for children during their out-of-school time. CCS also convenes meetings with stakeholders, holds workshops with potential grantees, reaches out to school districts that do not have programs, and gives priority funding to programs located in schools. Each grantee, in turn, develops a partnership with a private or nonprofit community organization to generate additional private-sector resources and to actually operate the programs. The intent of each grant is to provide start-up funds that encourage partnering agencies to develop programs that not only provide a safe haven for children while their parents are at work, but also provide structured recreational and enrichment activities that allow children to explore their creative potential. In order for schools and their partners to provide quality after-school programs, CCS changed its focus from uncovering regulatory violations to providing accessible and supportive services to help child care providers succeed. For example, technical assistance is provided even before the school applies for a grant. CCS meets with potential grant applicants early in the process to convene partners and to help them develop a solid business plan for their grant application. The business plan is critical; applicants must demonstrate to CCS that they have secured partners to help them sustain the program after the grant funding has ended. The objective of the grants is to develop self-sustaining programs, not to fund them over time. Current Activities Thirty-two programs have been funded by out-of-school time grants in 1998 and 1999. Each partnership varies in its activities partners, and its size to meet identified local needs. The Whittier Middle School After-School Program is one such model providing a quality OST experience. The Whittier After School Program is free of charge to all students and provides a wide range of engaging academic and social activities. The program began in 1998 with a $30,840 grant from the state, assistance from the YMCA, and funding from United Way. Now in its second year, the program has secured new partners and plans to significantly increase its capacity. Neighborhood churches have been supportive partners by providing volunteers to interact with students and to work in the program. Over half of the school’s students participate in the daily after-school program; attendance varies from 100 to 150 students. Last year, almost 600 of the school’s 970 students participated. Daily, students can receive help with homework, play intramural sports, participate in the Community Service Club, play games, and/or take field trips. As an added benefit, students who stay until the program closes at 5:45 p.m. can receive transportation home. The program’s success reflects the commitment of its partners. The project is growing; the children are learning and having fun; and partners are striving to further enhance the program’s activities. Resources For two consecutive years, the Governor dedicated $700,000 from the Child Care and Development Fund for OST grants. In 1998, demand for grant funding was so great that an additional $100,000 was obligated to meet the need. Grant recipients can receive funding for up to 75% of the cost of their programs in the first year of the grant. The grant decreases in subsequent years, so that in the third and final year, the grant totals only 25% of program costs. Recipients must raise the remaining 75%. At Whittier Middle School, for example, the local YMCA partnered with the school to provide the matching funds. Now, Whittier receives a federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grant and no longer requires state funds. Results In 1998, 28 OST grants increased the availability of school-based care from 350 to 1,995 spaces. Capacity increased to 2,200 spaces with the 32 grants awarded in 1999. While each program is still young, some are showing promising results. At Whittier Middle School, where more than half of the students participate in the after-school program, grades and standardized test scores have improved at every level for students seeking homework assistance. Student behaviors have also improved. Office referrals during the school day decreased 17%, and out-of-school suspensions declined 9% in the first year of operation of the after-school program. Sustaining and Replicating CCS leadership believes in accountability and the power of documenting results. Extensive technical assistance is available to grantees to encourage the sustainability of programs after the 3-year grant period. CCS is planning to expand the scope of its technical assistance to include outcomes training developed by United Way of America’s Measuring Program Outcomes initiative. This results-oriented focus will not only enable individual programs to evaluate their work, but will provide the state with information to assess the overall impact of the grants. Current CCS efforts include planning a training workshop on outcome measurement; increasing annual site visits from one to two each year; requiring programs to submit outcome-based quarterly reports; and engaging parents by seeking their feedback through surveys. Additionally, this fall CCS has added four new OST positions to their regional training programs. Further assistance will be available through a 20% increase in licensing field staff. Lessons Learned Money isn’t everything. Money does not necessarily mean immediate improvement. On-going, intensive technical assistance may often be required to improve the quality of programs. Technical assistance tools must be instructive and user-friendly. Staff are key. Too often, technical assistance means finding out what is wrong with a program. Select staff who are able to provide a personal touch in relationship building that works toward improving the program, not punishing it for inadequacies. Partners are the foundation. Be proactive. Get partners to the table early in the process. Be prepared to facilitate their understanding of each entity’s work and the importance of collaboration. Talk to school personnel, attend their conferences, and seek creative ways to communicate with and engage them. Push for partnerships that are innovative and collaborative and that eliminate repetition. Contact Information Loila Hunking Rosemary Hayward |
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