| | Released today! America After 3 PM 2020 is a critical report based on survey responses from more than 30,000 American households, including 731 in-depth interviews in Virginia. It was completed before the coronavirus pandemic struck and finds that 12% of Virginia students, 161,235 children, and youth in all, are enrolled in afterschool programs, down from 15% in 2014, when the survey was last conducted. In addition, 602,302 Virginia students are without the afterschool programs their parents say they need today. | | In Virginia, the results mirror the national survey findings, which shows support for afterschool programs is strong. Parents give high marks to afterschool programs. However, the unmet demand for afterschool programs is soaring. Full information on America After 3 PM can be found on Afterschool Alliance's website. | | | The Care Supply in Virginia The biggest takeaway from the America After 3 PM report is the huge unmet demand for afterschool programs. Parents need safe spaces and affordable quality options for their children. Part of VPOST's work is ensuring a continuum of care for youth from 0-18, and helping the field in Virginia partner with early childcare, childcare programs, school-day, school-age programs, and more. We've been busy collaborating nationally and on the state-level and have two pieces of information as it relates to that work. Building the Childcare Supply Toolkit: The Toolkit explores child care supply and demand, ways to identify local stakeholders, and how to set and achieve early care and education goals to benefit your community. VPOST, as a workgroup member, was able to bring the afterschool and out-of-school time perspective to the toolkit. Using a series of informative, interactive worksheets, the Toolkit helps users plan via practical, actionable strategies and tools such as the Child Care Community Profile, Potential Partners List, and Marketing Strategies. Ready Regions: Emergency School-Age Child Care for Virginia Families: As Virginia navigates the changing landscape shaped by COVID-19, including reduced child care capacity and shifts to virtual learning for many school divisions. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) with funding provided by the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) is establishing a network of regional hubs in high-need areas to build the supply of safe learning spaces for children Pre-K through 12 years old. These Ready Region hubs will launch immediately with a primary goal of increasing the supply of child care slots and spaces for school-age children across the Commonwealth. Click the link to get the contact information of your regional hub to connect.
| | | Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field. Held this week, December 7-13, 2020, in Virginia, Code VA has a full week of activities to celebrate. | | |
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