The only statewide funding stream for out-of-school time (OST) programs in Virginia is through the federal program, 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC). During the 2022 Virginia General Assembly session, the legislators made OST a priority and allocated an additional $4 million to fund an additional 15 programs in high-needs communities. This allocation is through Virginia’s share of American Rescue Plan and will only be available for one fiscal year. It is critical that we continue to promote OST programs and educate legislators on the urgent need for them in Virginia. We would like to see Virginia dedicate state funding to OST programs through its own funding stream.
How can we educate legislators on the availability and value of out-of-school time programs in Virginia? How can we help ensure that there is enough investment that all children and families in Virginia have access to quality out-of-school time programs? Support for public funding for afterschool programs in Virginia is extremely popular, with 89% of parents in favor. In fact, public funding is wildly popular across the political spectrum with 90% of Republicans, 91% of Democrats and 93% of Independents supporting public afterschool funding.
Navigating the Legislative Maps
On this map, the purple lines indicate the border of Virginia Senate districts while the green lines are the House of Delegates. The orange dots are out-of-school time programs. Click within a district and the entire district will then turn teal. A box with the legislators information will appear showing their name, contact information and party affiliation.
Launch the map in a separate window here.
VPOST stands ready to help facilitate visits of Virginia state legislators at local out-of-school programs. The map above can be used in a tool for determining how to connect out-of-school time programs to legislators. Furthermore, it can be used by legislators and political representatives to better understand access and availability in their jurisdictions. If you are interested in setting up a site visit contact Blaire Denson at blaire.denson@v-post.org.
