Before the 1990s, after school care was primarily the domain of community organizations. Groups like the YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of America stood as pillars, providing crucial support for families needing supervision for their children after the school day ended. Federal government involvement was minimal, leaving a patchwork system dependent on local initiatives and resources. However, the landscape of after school care was poised for significant transformation as the decade of the 1990s unfolded.
The mid-1990s marked a turning point, driven by compelling new research that illuminated the profound benefits of structured afterschool programs. This research coincided with a notable increase in dual-income households and single-parent families, meaning more parents were working outside the home and requiring reliable care for their children during after school hours. This convergence of evidence and societal shifts propelled the issue of afterschool care into the spotlight of policy discussions at the federal level.
In 1994, bipartisan collaboration led by Senator James Jeffords (I-Vt.) and Representative Steve Gunderson (R-Wis.), with key support from Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Ca.) and others, resulted in the introduction of The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Act. Senator Jeffords envisioned 21st CCLCs as vibrant “centers of activity” within communities, designed to offer a range of “activities and services provided by community members for the benefit of school children…as well as for the benefit of the adult members of the community.” This ambitious vision positioned schools as hubs that could extend their reach beyond traditional school hours, serving as anchors for community enrichment.
The 21st CCLC initiative was ultimately incorporated into The Improving America’s Schools Act, which was the 1994 reauthorization of the landmark 1965 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act. A significant initial investment of $750,000 was allocated to 21st CCLC in FY1995, signaling the federal government’s commitment. The focus of 21st CCLC programming was broad, aiming to “plan, implement, or expand projects that benefit the educational, health, social service, cultural, and recreational needs of a rural or inner-city community.” To ensure comprehensive community engagement, each center was mandated to provide at least four resources from a list of thirteen diverse options. These included programs for senior citizens, extended library access, parenting skills workshops, health and nutrition initiatives, and technology education, demonstrating a holistic approach to community development through after school programs. Organizations seeking 21st CCLC funding were required to apply directly to the Department of Education, initiating a more structured and federally guided approach to after school care program development.
The latter half of the 1990s witnessed a surge in support for afterschool programs, drawing from both public and private sectors. In 1998, a landmark report, “Safe and Smart: Making the After-School Hours Work for Kids,” was jointly released by the Department of Education and the Justice Department. This report emphatically championed afterschool programming as “the best deterrent against juvenile crime and victimization,” underscoring the critical role these programs played in ensuring child safety and positive youth development. The report highlighted the multifaceted benefits extending to “children, their families, schools, and the whole community,” including tangible outcomes such as “increased safety, reduced risk-taking, and improved learning.” This federal endorsement significantly bolstered the legitimacy and importance of after school care programs in the national discourse.
Philanthropic organizations also played a crucial role. In 1997, the C.S. Mott Foundation, a long-time advocate for afterschool initiatives, partnered with the Department of Education to provide essential training and technical assistance to recipients of 21st CCLC grants. This partnership aimed to enhance the quality and effectiveness of these burgeoning programs. President Clinton, in a 1998 announcement of this collaboration, lauded afterschool programs for their ability to “keep our kids healthy and happy and safe…[and] teach them to say no to drugs, alcohol, and crime, yes to reading, sports, and computers.” His enthusiastic endorsement further solidified the national importance of these programs. In 1999, President Clinton proposed a substantial $800 million increase to the 21st CCLC budget over the subsequent five years. By FY2001, the program’s budget had reached an impressive $845.6 million, reflecting the escalating federal investment in after school care infrastructure.
The Department of Education’s grant application for 2000 provided a detailed glimpse into the diverse opportunities envisioned for 21st CCLC programs. These included activities spanning drama clubs and swimming lessons at the YMCA to homework assistance, computer literacy classes, and ESL courses tailored for parents. The Department’s vision portrayed 21st CCLCs as dynamic “hub[s] of learning, recreation, and community involvement for the neighborhood’s children and adults alike.” Partnerships with established community organizations like the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, and Girl Scouts were explicitly encouraged to broaden the spectrum of activities and resources available to community members, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the initiative.
The early 2000s brought further evolution with the enactment of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002, signed into law by President George W. Bush. Under NCLB, the 21st CCLC program underwent significant transformations. Firstly, the annual budget authorization for 21st CCLC experienced a dramatic increase of $250 million per year for six years, reaching an authorized level of $2.5 billion by FY2007. Although actual appropriations hovered around $1 billion, the authorized increase signaled a continued commitment to after school programs. Secondly, the grant application process was decentralized, shifting to a state-based model where states received funding allocations based on their share of Title I funds. This change empowered states to tailor program implementation to their specific needs and contexts. Thirdly, NCLB brought a heightened emphasis on utilizing 21st CCLC programs to improve academic achievement, aligning with NCLB’s broader focus on enhancing literacy and math instruction in schools.
Despite this increased focus on academics, the original tenets of 21st CCLC, including student safety and the provision of diverse community resources, remained relevant to policymakers during the NCLB era. As late as September 2000, Representative Robert Franks (R-NJ.) defined a “community learning center” as “an entity that provides educational, recreational, health, and social service programs for youth.” The final version of NCLB stipulated that 21st CCLC programs would “assist students in meeting State and local academic achievement standards,” “provid[e] students with opportunities for…other activities (such as drug and violence prevention, counseling, art, music, recreation, technology and character education programs,” and “offer families of students…opportunities for literacy and related educational development.”
In conclusion, while NCLB introduced a stronger academic focus to 21st CCLC, it did not negate the program’s original multifaceted goals. Instead, NCLB reshaped 21st CCLC by augmenting funding, decentralizing the grant process, and shifting the primary program focus from comprehensive community services to providing targeted academic support, particularly in reading and mathematics, for students. The 1990s were undeniably a transformative decade for after school care programs, witnessing their ascent from localized community initiatives to nationally recognized and federally supported endeavors, setting the stage for continued growth and evolution in the 21st century.
