Just when you think it is over, it starts all over again. . . On July 13, 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed the FY2009 budget and we are proud that the efforts of a great many people led to substantial increases in funding for afterschool programming. The ASOST Quality Grants administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be funded at $5.55 million, more than a 150 % increase over the $2 million allocated in FY2008 (which served 48 programs statewide). The Youth Violence Prevention grant at the Department of Public Health, moreover, has increased to $3.5 million. These are important increases that signal renewed support for afterschool programs on the heels of the work of the Special Commission on Afterschool and Out-of-School Time. In the next couple months we will be scheduling meetings with legislators, working with our networks to develop budget asks for FY2010 and start the entire process over again. In fact, we are somewhat late as the first budget hearings for FY2010 were held on August 12!
As we move forward with our work around the FY2010 budget, what do you think would make the most difference in the lives of children and youth in Massachusetts? Clearly, more resources are always a goal, but we have been thinking lately about the best way to manage and coordinate those resources. If the DESE already receives significant funding for academic OST programs through 21st Century Community Learning Center funds, perhaps the Afterschool and OST Quality Grants should be administered by another agency that can champion a well-defined youth development framework for those funds? As long as the ASOST grant is administered by DESE, it will compete with other agency initiatives, such as Expanded Learning Time, for state funds.
What do you think?
16 years ago
No comments:
Post a Comment