Department of Education to allow states greater flexibility through 21st CCLC waivers

This morning (Sept. 3, 2020) the U.S. Department of Education(ED) posted a notice in the Federal Register  on their intent to offer a waiver to allow State Education Agencies (SEAs) to waive the definition of Community Learning Center(s) for implementation of services during “non-school hours or periods when school is not in session (such as before and after school or during summer recess)” for 21^st Century Community Learning (21st CCLC) programs in school year 2020-2021. While the notice allows for a 60 day comment period, the Department of Education has been permitted to offer and approve waivers during the comment period. State Education Agencies are expected to apply for and receive waivers as early as next week.

At this time when so many students and families urgently need more help as they adjust to virtual and hybrid schooling , afterschool programs funded through the 21^st Century Community Learning Center initiative have been challenged by the inability to provide in-person and virtual supervised learning supports and programming during times when schools are operating virtually.  This new waiver being offered by ED will help 21^st CCLC afterschool programs meet the needs of parents, students, and schools by supplementing and complementing virtual school instruction.  We are hopeful that this waiver will provide SEAs and local 21^st CCLC sub-grantees with the flexibility they need to serve students including during the hours of the traditional school day when schools are no longer physically open for all students and many students still need access to safe, supervised, and well-resourced spaces to learn.  

Grants from the 21^st Century Community Learning Center initiative help afterschool programs that primarily serve low-income communities by offering high quality programming and enrichment for students as well academic activities like mentoring and tutoring that complement the school day. 21^st CCLC’s unique blend of supervised, engaging afterschool ativities and quality academic support can provide the consistent assistance students need to thrive during a school year with a constantly shifting format, and ensure more students are equitably served with the resources they need to thrive

A wide range of advocates have been calling on ED to allow this flexibility since March when a national emergency was declared as a result of the pandemic. Members of Congress have been working on legislative language to address this issue as well. Given that the 2020-2021 school year has already begun in many localities, we are hopeful that ED can expedite waiver requests. The comment period referenced in the Federal Register notice allows stakeholders to weigh in on the waiver until early November. SEAs are permitted to apply for waivers simultaneous to the comment period, because of the urgency of the need to serve families now.

This encouraging news from the Department of Education follows August announcements from both the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services allowing flexibility in providing school meals to students participating in learning centers or hubs during the virtual school day and allowing Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds to be used to support all-day care of students during alternative school schedules. 

Together with ED’s new waiver on 21^st CCLC these flexibilities allow local educational agencies, local government, community-based organizations, and other partners to overcome a major barrier – that of being able to serve students during traditional school day hours for the limited duration of the 2020-2021 school year as school districts implement virtual and hybrid schedules to protect the health and safety of their communities. We are grateful for all the advocacy and government agencies’ actions that are putting families’ needs first during this crisis at the center of their work.

But we are not done yet. The equally significant barrier of funding still prevents too many young people and families from receiving the services they so desperately need. A coalition of organizations is calling for at least $6.2 billion in supplemental funding for 21^st CCLC in the next COVID-19 relief package.  Those additional funds will help programs implement longer hours, reduce student/staff ratios, obtain alternate spaces as needed, and implement additional cleaning safety measures. Programs and families on the ground see the need for funding as an obvious and pressing issue faced everyday as they strive to ensure student’s needs are met as parents return to work. Still, elected officials aren’t always aware.

Please be sure to use your voice and experience to share the need for additional afterschool program support including space, the need for more time and more staff, the successes, and also the challenges around sanitation and safety, local funding shortages, and the uncertainties ahead. Your elected officials at all levels want to know how your students and families are doing, how the program is fairing, and what they can do to ensure students are supported by afterschool and summer in the fall. Check out our action alert tool here for a template and be sure to add your own experiences!