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About Act 4 After School
On November 5, 2002, California voters declared
their belief that all children in the state should have
access to quality, affordable after-school programs by passing
Proposition 49, now the After School Education and Safety
Program (ASES—often pronounced “aces”).
This initiative added $428 million to the state’s
budget for after-school programs, making it possible to
put an after-school program at nearly every elementary and
middle school in the state.
Recent legislation that made changes to ASES also changed
the state’s program for providing after-school programs
to high school students, the California 21st Century High
School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs)
Program. Under the new law, a significant portion of California’s
funds from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers
(21st CCLC) funding stream will be reserved for high school
after-school programs.
Developments with these state and federal funding streams
are unfolding rapidly in 2006-2007, and it’s possible
that the schools that need these programs most will not
have access to the resources and information they will need
to bring in these new funds to serve their students.
That is why several organizations in the vanguard of support
for after-school formed Act 4 After School, a cooperative
effort to ensure that the schools that would benefit from
after-school programs the most have the latest information
on the implementation and funding process.
The goals of Act 4 After School are:
- To ensure that timely information on the potential for increased state funding for after-school reaches after-school advocates in school districts that would benefit most.
- To connect after-school advocates with
resources and information that can help them ensure that
high-need school districts apply for funding and procure
the required matching funds.
- To lay a foundation in targeted communities
for ongoing engagement in advocacy for after-school.
It is important to note that the purpose
of this work is to provide information and is not for the
purpose of lobbying or influencing any election.
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