As a mother of two young girls, I know and value the importance of engaging and enriching activities for youth, and I am lucky to be able to provide those opportunities for them. I firmly believe that every family in the District should have the necessary resources to ensure their children can achieve their full potential.
That is why in 2016, I introduced the legislation that established the current Out-of-School-Time program.
This legislation created the Office of Youth Outcomes, charged with developing and executing a strategic plan for equitable funding of after-school and summer programming for youth.
My aim was to ensure access to high-quality learning opportunities beyond the traditional school day, preparing our children and youth for success in education, careers, and life.
Out-of-school time programs play a pivotal role in the overall development and well-being of our students.
They are instrumental in fostering well-rounded development, providing academic support, building essential life skills, preventing risky behaviors, and creating a supportive environment for children and youth outside of regular school hours.
As we know all too well, not all children have equal opportunities for this kind of engagement and enrichment.
New data shows that DC is one of the states with the highest rates of parent satisfaction for OST. Still, we have a large gap between low-income and high-income families which must be addressed.
Significant barriers including cost, limited program availability, and access to information, hinder many students from accessing high-quality Out of School Time programs.
And access to OST programming is not equal across the District. Black and Brown youth, and low-income families have less access, are less satisfied with the options they have, and are less likely to be enrolled in out of school time programs.
New legislation introduced by Councilmember Frumin addresses these challenges by increasing access to Out of School Time programs, expanding program capacity, and prioritizing space for at-risk youth who can benefit most from these programs.
While there is still much work ahead of us, this legislation is a step in the right direction toward achieving our ultimate goal of ensuring that families have access to quality Out of School Time programs in convenient locations that meet their needs.
It is crucial that the Office of Out of School Time functions as effectively as possible and that every student receives the same level of support and accessibility.
