OST Creates Space for Youth to Process Political Unrest, Navigate Virtual School Episode #2 | Kid Power, Inc. As part of our work with the newly formed DC OST Coalition, DC Action continues our blog series spotlighting out-of-school time programs. With it, we will create space to share the stories of voices that have been left out of the discussion...

District of Columbia parents see the value in afterschool programs, and overwhelmingly support public dollars going toward these activities that help their kids continue to learn and grow after the traditional school day ends. A new report from the Afterschool Alliance confirms this, finding that nearly 90% of District parents are in favor of public funding for afterschool programs. That’s...

Dear Mayor Bowser and Dr. Nesbitt, We write to express our disappointment that Tuesday’s mayoral press release announcing continued vaccination rollout excluded early childhood educators in child care programs throughout the city. While we understand that vaccine doses are limited, we are deeply disheartened by this exclusion of a workforce deemed "essential" by the Mayor. Early childhood educators have been...

Testimony of Matthew Hanson, Chief of Staff of DC Action for Children before the Council of the District of Columbia Committee of the Whole Joint Public Roundtable on Reopening District of Columbia Public Schools Good afternoon Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee of the Whole. Thank you for the opportunity to testify at today’s public roundtable on reopening the...

Blog post by Ryllie Danylko, Policy Analyst We are excited to release our latest policy brief which looks at the Out-of-school time landscape in the District of Columbia, who it serves, how it’s funded and what impact it has on the lives of young people. Student growth and achievement happens beyond the traditional school day. OST programs are important to...

PRESS RELEASE Contact: Tawana Jacobs tjacobs@dckids.org 301-325-8687 Mayor Bowser’s $2.8 Million Child Care Relief Grants Are ‘A Drop In The Bucket’ New Survey of District Early Childhood Programs Nine Months After Onset of COVID-19 Reveals That The Sector Is On The Brink of Collapse WASHINGTON, DC — DC’s early childhood owners and operators are saying they are worried about their...

DC Must Act to Protect Child Care in the District for the Benefit of Children, Parents, and the Economy Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the District, child care/early learning programs were already stretched thin. There weren’t enough slots for all the infants and toddlers who needed them, and child care was not always accessible or affordable to many District families...

D.C. Debe Actuar para Proteger al Sector del Cuidado Infantil en Favor de los Niños, los Padres y la Economía Antes de que la pandemia de COVID-19 afectara al Distrito, los programas de cuidado infantil o aprendizaje temprano ya se encontraban bajo presión. No había suficientes vacantes para todos los bebés y niños pequeños que lo necesitaban y, para muchas...

An open letter to Deputy Mayor Paul Kihn Dear Deputy Mayor of Education Paul Kihn, We are writing to follow up on our November 20 letter sharing ideas about how the out-of-school time sector can better collaborate with DC Public Schools, public charter schools, and the students and families they serve, as we navigate the pandemic and look to give...

What We've Done Together in 2020 When 2020 began, none of us could have imagined what challenges would confront us this year. The racist policies and resulting circumstances that put Black and brown children, youth and families at a disadvantage when it comes to learning, staying healthy, and maintaining economic security were exploited and exacerbated by COVID-19. The parallel pandemics...