MAKING A DIFFERENCE : One Partnership's Approach: Innovative funding for after-school care

MAKING A DIFFERENCE : One Partnership’s Approach: Innovative funding for after-school care

By JONATHAN ALCORN / For The Times

Oct. 18, 1993 12 AM PT

Compiled by Times Researcher CATHERINE GOTTLIEB

When the school day ends at least 100,000 children who attend kindergarten through the sixth grade in the Los Angeles Unified School District fend for themselves until their working parents get home. LA’s Best, an after-school program established in 1988, offers 3,800 of these children a supervised place to go at 19 elementary schools in areas identified by the district as most vulnerable to drug, gang and crime activity. At no cost to parents the program keeps children at school, out of trouble and engaged in educational, enrichment and recreational activities until 6 p.m. whenever school is in session. A partnership between the city of Los Angeles, the district, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency and corporations funds the program at a cost of $110,000 per school or about $532 per child each year. So far, the program has been copied by San Jopse, which introduced its plan in 1991.

RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES

Each site can accomodate 200 students. Each receives a nutritional snack and beverage daily. Students are divided by age into small groups and spend their time playing and studying, moving from activity to activity about once each half hour.

Regular activities include:

Homework assistance and tutoring in reading, math, science and social studies

Math and science club meetings in conjunction with the Children’s -Television Workshop shows “Square One Television” and “3-2-1 Contact”

Recreational games and sports

Arts, crafts, and performance projects

Monthly field trips to museums, theatrical performances, concerts and sporting events

STAFFING for each school:

Site coordinator

Library specialist

Homework lab assistant

Program supervisor

Playground worker

Five paid high school student workers

1-10 small group leaders

BOTTOM LINE

Cost of direct service to children: $1,837,254

Cost of program administration: 182,499

TOTAL EXPENDITURES: $2,019,753

Source: LA’s Best 1991-92 Annual Report

THE PURPOSE

Hugh Jones, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Region, a corporate sponsor of LA’s Best

Helping these kids today is a moral investment; contributing to their future success as productive, responsible adults is a sound business investment.

Outside Assessment Ernestine Trujillo, supervisor, Child Development Program, San Francisco Unified School District

There’s a terrific need for after school programs with so many parents working. If money is drying up in the educational realm and the need is increasing then we have to ask who else might be interested in funding these programs.

With the LA’s Best program, all these entities (the city, school district, city redevelopment agency and private corporations) got together to provide something of value to children. That’s the nitty-gritty: they put together the partnership.

RESULTS

83% of children report liking school more because of participating in the program.

80% of parents with children in the program reported feeling less stress in the evening and fewer conflicts about homework.

50% of parents reported increased attentiveness at work and reduced money worries.

40% of high school aides report that they are considering teaching, child- or community- related careers because of their participation in LA’s Best.

25% of parents report increases in the amount of time they spend talking and having fun with their children.

Source: UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation

TO GET INVOLVED

For information about LA’s Best volunteer and support opportunities call (213) 485-8696.

PROGRAM SITES

Los Angeles Unifed School District 1988

1. Ann Street