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FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICT AFTERSCHOOL MEALS PROGRAM
MENTOR PROJECT
Case Study
OVERVIEW:
As a follow up to the release of the 2017 “The Afterschool Meals Program: A Guidepost to Success for School Districts,” Florida Impact to End Hunger (FITEH) initiated the Florida School District
Afterschool Meals Program Mentor Project. The goal of the project was to increase the number of
school districts applying for and implementing the Afterschool Meals Program (AMP). FITEH staff successfully paired 4 “Mentor” districts with 4 “Mentee” districts and facilitated dialogue and
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MENTOR PAIRS:
Mentor: Palm Beach County → Mentee: Martin County Mentor: Highlands County → Mentee: Polk County Mentor: Alachua County → Mentee: DeSoto County Mentor: Hillsborough → Mentee: Santa Rosa County
BACKGROUND:
In 2017, Florida Impact staff completed a comprehensive study of all Florida’s school districts and their involvement and participation in the AMP. Each district was categorized into small, medium, and large according to size and other data points were pulled for each. Using September 2017 AMP
data, districts were then grouped based on whether or not they were an AMP sponsor and the number of sites within the county. As a result, all 67 school districts in Florida were categorized as either Top Performers, Low Performers, or Non-Performers. At the beginning of school year
2018-2019, Florida Impact staff (CEO and COO) used this data to conduct outreach to gauge interest in the project. After several months of recruitment via emails and phone calls, FI gained commitment
from four “mentor” districts and four “mentee” districts.
PROCESS:
Staff scheduled out three monthly calls to provide the mentees a regular opportunity to discuss their questions and concerns with their mentor district. The first call involved introductions and an overview of basics associated with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Afterschool Meals Program (AMP) administered through the Florida Department of Health (DOH).
These initial calls were more structured to ensure that common concerns were addressed. Additional calls were allowed for more opened discussion between the two districts. This allowed the mentee to gain the most benefit from the call. At the end of each call, staff reiterated a brief list
of goals and objectives for completion prior to the subsequent call to ensure that all participants were on the same page. When necessary, mentors and Florida Impact staff provided additional support to address issues between calls. Some of the most beneficial calls involved more than just
the food and nutrition directors, who may sometimes be removed from the day-to-day process. Therefore, multiple food and nutrition staff representatives were invited to join the calls.
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RESULTS:
• Alachua/DeSoto: DeSoto County has successfully implemented afterschool suppers in all
schools, and is considering expansion to one additional, non-district site.
• Hillsborough/Santa Rosa: Santa Rosa County has submitted their application to the Department
of Health for review, and is hoping to implement the program in at least one school prior to the end of the school year. This elementary school has already been identified, and school staff and administration are already onboard with the proposal. If possible, a high school has also been identified for implementation this year. Remaining schools will be brought onboard during the 2019-2020 school year.
• Palm Beach/Martin: Martin County is going through the approval process internally with the
school district. Principals and nutrition staff are on-board and they are currently seeking approval from the superintendent and the school board. The target date for application submission is May 2019
• Highlands/Polk: Polk County is currently awaiting notification of a grant award from Share Our
Strength and will make further decisions on AMP based on the grant.
In addition to the original 4 mentee/mentor pairs, Gadsden County caught wind of our project and requested assistance with their pending AMP application. Florida Impact staff set up a call between Gadsden County and another high performing district, Pasco County. At this time, Gadsden has submitted their application to the Florida Department of Health, and has developed a
strategy for both replacing NSLP snack sites with AMP suppers, and expanding AMP suppers to additional sites.
CONCLUSION:
After the initial challenge of finding mentor and mentee districts willing to participate, the primary challenge in arranging the mentor relationship was scheduling, especially for the first call. This became significantly easier once a level of rapport was established between the two districts. While
scheduled calls were initially necessary to cover a significant breadth of topics and questions, moving forward it seems that less structured interactions would be more beneficial. In this way, mentee district staff can easily call or email mentor district staff with quick questions or concerns, rather than waiting for a monthly check in, for example. That said, some form of semi-regular check
in could still be beneficial to help ensure the program is moving along overall. Florida Impact will maintain this role of regularly checking in for the remainder of the school year.
One additional barrier came from the mentor side of the partnership. Some districts have been participating in the AMP for many years, perhaps even before the arrival of the current food and
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nutrition team. Because of this, some staff are quite removed from the application and implementation process, and were unable to recall details.
Overall, this project was very successful. The mentor pairings fostered new partnerships between districts which will hopefully expand even beyond afterschool meals, leading to collaboration and
support around other topics, such as summer meals or CEP, for example. By pairing experienced districts with interested districts, we have been able to overcome significant barriers and expand
afterschool meals into areas previously unserved.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
1. Florida Impact staff worked to create the “School District Toolbox” to be a resource for all Florida’s school districts. The Toolbox can be found at www.floridaafterschoolmeals.org and contains the following sections:
- Best Practices for School Food Authorities
- Streamlined Process for School Food Authorities
- Implementing AMP in School Districts
2. The AMP School District Mentor Project Call Outline was created as a resource for both Florida Impact staff as well as other organizations to use when implementing a similar project. Please see this document attached below.
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FLORIDA IMPACT AMP SCHOOL DISTRICT MENTOR PROJECT
Call Outline
PRIOR TO CALL:
• Research into the mentee’s current AMP status (Has the district applied? Has the program started? How many schools has the program been implemented in? What afterschool programs are on-campus?)
• Research into the mentor’s current AMP program (How long has it been established? How many meals/students/sites are being served?)
• Try to assess everyone’s objectives and prepare relevant questions to help stimulate conversation.
• Prepare best practice information to contribute to the conversation. This can be distributed prior to the call for everyone to become familiar with/ask questions about.
DURING CALL:
• Begin with brief introduction to facilitator, Florida Impact, the AMP program, and the mentorship program (goals, outcomes).
• Allow all participants on the call to introduce themselves.
• Emphasize at the beginning of the call that this is an open dialog.
• Ask mentor district to provide a history of their AMP program and the current landscape of the program.
• Ask mentee to join in by explaining where they are with the AMP program (or application process), with a focus on any challenges which have emerged or been recently overcome, and what their next steps/objectives are.
• Follow-up with any specific questions about the program, especially if there is information which could not be found in the pre-call research.
• Ensure that all challenges brought up are discussed and, if possible, resolutions suggested. • If the conversation continues, allow and encourage the mentee to ask whatever questions
they have for the mentor. When applicable, facilitator should contribute relevant information, especially related to best practices from other districts.
6 o School board / Superintendent approval.
o What initial barriers have you encountered? Have you overcome these barriers? o Who are the key stakeholders to bring onboard? Who were your strongest advocates
or opposition?/Who do you have onboard?
o How long did the streamlined application process take? How long did the actual implementation process take?
o Marketing: did you use any specific forms/promotional materials to get the word out? Can you share these with us?
o How many schools did you start with? How did you select these specific schools?/How many schools would you like to start with?
o What kind of meals did you initially serve? What meals are you now serving? (hot/cold, snack/supper)
o Have there been any unexpected barriers or benefits since beginning the program? o Other advice?
• Prior to ending the call, try to establish goals or objectives for the next meeting.
o Meeting with superintendent, presenting to school board, adding a certain number of sites, reaching out to/gaining buy-in from a certain number of stakeholders, etc.
AFTER CALL:
Follow up as soon as possible thanking the participants. Include any relevant documents or information requested in the call. Include brief notes from the call. Remind all participants of objectives to meet prior to the next call. Use this opportunity to schedule the next call or other
The Afterschool Meals Program
A GUIDEPOST TO SUCCESS
for School Districts
THE AFTERSCHOOL MEALS PROGRAM IN FLORIDA
The Child and Adult Care Food Program, At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program (AMP), is a federal nutrition program that offers reimbursement for meals and/or snacks served at school-based or community-based, public, non-profit and some for-profit afterschool enrichment sites. Snacks, breakfasts, lunches, and suppers are available through the program, including on weekends and school holidays. Program sites must meet certain eligibility criteriaand be located in an area served by a public school in which at least 50% of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. At these sites, meals can be served to any child age 18 and under at no cost to the children or family.
Through the AMP, children and youth are able to receive a snack (which includes two items such as an apple and milk) and/or a meal (which includes five items, such as a turkey sandwich, an apple, carrot sticks, and milk) in their out-of-school-time program during the academic year. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is administered in Florida by
the Department of Health, Bureau of Child Care Food Programs (DOH CCFP).
Since 2000, the USDA authorized states little by little to pilot the AMP through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), but this list did not yet include Florida. During this time, afterschool providers in Florida and in other states across the country that were allowed to serve snacks, but not full meals, reported that the smaller snack was not enough to get their participants through the afternoon. This was especially true for teenage participants and those who providers worried might not get another meal until school the next day.
For some years, Florida Impact, community advocates, and local leaders worked with our members of Congress to bring the Afterschool Meal Program to our state. With the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in December 2010, we saw the fruit of that advocacy when the full 5-item meal was authorized nationwide!
A GUIDEPOST TO SUCCESS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
While schools and non-profit organizations in Florida were able to begin serving the AMP meal since 2010, it took some time to work through certain regulations and to get the word out to qualifying agencies. One of these barriers was the additional paperwork required of school districts to apply since it is administered through CACFP and a different state agency, even though they had proven record of administering the school nutrition programs with success. In 2013, the USDA granted a STREAMLINED APPLICATION PROCESS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTSso that the requirements aligned more with the National School Lunch Program.
Still, as of September 2017, only 24 of 67 school districts in Florida were participating in the AMP. Florida Impact sent a survey to the 43 non-participating school districts to find out why. Twenty-six districts responded, and here are some of the key findings:
- Nearly half of the respondents (11 of the 26) did not know about the program.
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- Only 3 of the 15 districts that knew of the AMP had attempted to apply for the program.
Some of the common barriers and concerns expressed by these districts of small, medium and large school district population size were the following:
- Extending staff hours and meeting the labor requirements for paperwork and food distribution.
- Unsure of the benefits, especially if the district is already serving National School Lunch Program snacks.
- Lack of knowledge that the program existed and how to get started. - Concern about the length of the application process.
- Not enough afterschool programming to serve children before they leave school.
The following will provide some insight from fellow school districts in Florida to offer information on how to successfully implement the program, as well as encouragement to see the value of the Afterschool Meals Program for the district, the students and the community.
WHY PARTICIPATE IN THE AFTERSCHOOL MEALS PROGRAM (AMP)
Through interviews with Florida school districts that have been successfully operating the AMP, Florida Impact learned that the motivating factors for getting started were the need for more substantial meals for children and youth after school, as well as the economic sustainability of the program.
When students eat lunch between 10 a.m. and 12 noon, they are in much need of a full-sized snack or meal to keep them alert and active through the remainder of the day. This is especially true if they are not picked up from the afterschool program until 6 p.m. School food and nutrition
departments and afterschool program staff recognize that the program supports working families, gives students more energy, and even boosts afterschool program attendance.
TAB LE 1: C O M P A R IS O N O F TH E S N A C K A N D S U P P ER /M EA L A M P O P TIO N S U S IN G C C FP M EA L P A TTER N *
MEAL MEAL COMPONENTS RATE PER MEAL SERVED
Supper/Meal “Power Snack”
Select 3 items:
(if using offer versus served) - Milk
- Vegetables - Fruits
- Grains/Breads
- Meat or Meat Alternative
$3.46 Snack Select 2 Items: - Milk - Vegetables - Fruits - Grains/Breads
- Meat or Meat Alternative
$0.88
HOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN FLORIDA GET STARTED
Most school food and nutrition departments in Florida have the autonomy to determine which services to offer; therefore, in most cases, the decision to begin serving the AMP is at first an internal one. Approval from the school board is, in general, a step along the way. Florida Impact found that it was also critical for many participating food and nutrition departments to
SEEK GUIDANCE FROM NEIGHBORING OR SIMILAR-SIZED DISTRICTS that had already started
their Afterschool Meals Program. Furthermore, once the streamlined application process became available, it was easier to apply and be
approved by the Florida Department of Health.
Another key method for starting the new program is to begin with
PILOT INITIATIVES. Some districts choose to begin serving cold meals at first, and then, gradually introduce warm meals. Some selected a few schools with the most robust afterschool programs while others began with elementary schools, serving a younger student population to start. One of the most important aspects of implementing the AMP is the COLLABORATIVE EFFORT that is involved with running a successful program. At each school, it takes a working partnership between the food and nutrition department, school administration and the
afterschool program coordinators. Often times, principals are the gateway to begin the AMP at a given school.
School food and nutrition departments offer the AMP at extended day programs, 21st Century or other school-sponsored and non-profit afterschool programs, during study halls, clubs or other enrichment opportunities for students. Some school food authorities even choose to become an AMP sponsor of unaffiliated sites, which are located off school grounds, out in the community. A major difference in implementing afterschool meals, as expressed by currently participating districts, occurs with the difference in the grade levels at the school – elementary, middle or high school. Due to the various types of activities offered after school at each level of education, the delivery of the Afterschool Meals Program must take on different approaches.
With any new program, NEW MENUS AND PROCEDURES MUST BE ESTABLISHED. In general, more staff hours and storage were required, depending on the facilities. Some school districts found that preparing afterschool meals during the school day made it possible to keep additional staff hours to a minimum until the program grew enough to cover additional staffing costs. One school
CASE STUDY: Miami-Dade County Coordination with Afterschool Program Staff
At Henry M. Flagler Elementary, the afterschool program manager works with the food service manager to select
a menu that offers nutritious food options and has the approval of the student population. The afterschool program manager knows what the students like to eat and what they tend to push to the side. They especially
like the strawberry fruit cup, grilled cheese, croissant sandwich, and yogurt-to-go.
“The program is very important because the kids have long hours at school and they need appropriate food
[after school]” - Afterschool Program Manager. The program manager advocates for the students to try
new foods and parents are happy that their children receive that meal and even try new and different foods.
The program manager wants the best for the students and makes sure that they enjoy the food and that they
are full and nourished under her watch.
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district also chose to use a vendor to provide cold meal items in order to minimize additional staff
time at the beginning. Utilizing partnerships with the afterschool program staff also cuts down on the food and nutrition staff time that is required to serve the meals. To address custodial staff time concerns, many districts were able to negotiate an adjustment in the scheduled cleaning time so that the same service would occur later in the day.
HOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN FLORIDA EXPAND THE PROGRAM
MARKETING is critical to expanding the Afterschool Meals Program. Using a press release to publicize each new program site not only increases participation at that particular school, it also prompts interest at other schools that may not have heard about the program or its benefits. The AMP is also a helpful marketing tool to increase enrollment in the out-of-school-time enrichment
program.
Food and nutrition departments distribute letters and handouts to principals, parents and afterschool program staff to market the
availability of the program. They use posters, automated robo-calls, social media, a user-friendly website and special branding to highlight the program. Some food and nutrition departments have an internal staff person who supports marketing initiatives, and some partner with the district public relations department to facilitate this aspect of the program.
Finally, the QUALITY OF THE MEALS and the program delivery are natural promoters of the district’s Afterschool Meals Program. Many districts receive input from students through focus groups or communication with the afterschool program staff.
Districts also increase participation in the AMP by implementing INNOVATIVE DELIVERY MODELS
as a way to improve access to the program. Some districts take the AMP out of the cafeteria to reach students where they are participating in various clubs and enrichment activities all over campus. Other districts market to the many activity groups and serve all of them in the cafeteria right after school lets out.
CASE STUDY: Orange County Creative Marketing – Go Where Students Go
At Orange County Public Schools, the food and nutrition department utilizes a golf cart equipped
with both cold and hot containers that can hold up to 150 meals. The middle and high school campuses are large, so the golf cart can easily
move to meet students wherever they are participating in qualifying enrichment activities on campus. There is an electronic point of sale device
so that the department can easily track reimbursable meals.
Afterschool meals are available to any student, as long as there is an enrichment program open
and available to all students. For example, if there is an open study hall hour on campus, then any student may receive a meal. This is also the case with SPORTS TEAMS AND ATHLETICS; according to the USDA, competitive student athletes
are able to participate in meal service as long as there is an overarching, open afterschool program on campus. See this
USDA fact sheetfor more information.
FINAL WORDS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS
CONSIDERING THE PROGRAM
Overall, the AMP is a triple WIN for school districts. It contributes to student
performance in academics and enrichment activities, offers quality nutrition through a more substantial meal for children and youth, and provides a higher
reimbursement to support the operations of the school nutrition programs. It does require a certain strategy to manage the budget and arrange procedures; however, in most cases, it is a beneficial opportunity that contributes to the financial viability of the department.
There are many resources to support school districts in their efforts to start an
Afterschool Meals Program. Appendix I is a list of school districts currently participating in the AMP who can serve as mentors in the application and implementation process. In addition, Florida Impact and the Food Research and Action Center are statewide and national non-profit organizations available to provide technical assistance to schools and community-based
organizations applying for and participating in the federal child nutrition programs and can direct agencies to additional resources as needed.
Florida Impact created this report with sponsorship from Walmart through the Food Research and Action Center. Florida Impact mobilizes communities to implement underutilized federal food and nutrition programs as a sustainable way to address child hunger. Our organization provides strategic program outreach, technical assistance, and advocacy to
nonprofits working with at-risk children.
Since 1979, Florida Impact has helped community leaders preserve and improve these and other anti-poverty programs— including the School Breakfast Program when school is in, and the After School Meal (www.FloridaAfterschoolMeals.org)
and Summer Food Service (www.SummerFoodFlorida.org) programs when school is out.
WWW.FLORIDAIMPACT.ORG
•
850-309-1488
CASE STUDY: Pasco County
Connecting Sports Teams to Study Hour
At Centennial Middle School in Pasco County Schools, the food service manager approached the athletic director and asked if
they would like to participate in the AMP study hall on campus. The team already had a
2.5-hour study hall offered once a week, and instead, they began joining the daily study hall on campus where other student groups participated. This allowed the players to keep
up with their homework every day instead of playing catch up once a week, and they were able to receive a nutritious meal. Over the
course of a year, the team’s grade point average increased from 2.8 to 3.5. Seeing the
benefit of this program, other sports teams, as well as the math, Spanish and Mumba clubs began participating in this afterschool
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Appendix I:
LIST OF FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICT FOOD & NUTRITION DEPARTMENTS
PARTICIPATING IN THE AFTERSCHOOL MEALS PROGRAM (SEPTEMBER 2017)
SCHOOL DISTRICT BY COUNTY STUDENT POPULATION* SIZE OF DISTRICT**
ALACHUA 29,485 MEDIUM BAY 28,027 MEDIUM BREVARD 73,446 LARGE BROWARD 271,828 LARGE CITRUS 15,338 MEDIUM COLLIER 46,407 LARGE ESCAMBIA 40,384 LARGE FLAGLER 12,930 MEDIUM FRANKLIN 1,332 SMALL HAMILTON 1,688 SMALL HERNANDO 22,298 MEDIUM HILLSBOROUGH 214,402 LARGE LEE 92,682 LARGE LEON 33,954 LARGE MANATEE 48,892 LARGE MARION 43,040 LARGE MIAMI-DADE 357,311 LARGE MONROE 8,582 MEDIUM ORANGE 200,667 LARGE
PALM BEACH 191,120 LARGE
PASCO 72,490 LARGE
PINELLAS 102,955 LARGE
SARASOTA 42,801 LARGE
VOLUSIA 63,100 LARGE
*2016-2017 Florida Department Of Education Data
**Category of school-district size based on criteria set by national organizations.
- Small School District – up to 5,000 students (per Small School Districts’ Association)
- Medium School Districts – 5,001 – 29,999 students
- Large School Districts – 30,000 students or more (per FRAC’s Large School District Breakfast Report)
EXPANDING AFTERSCHOOL MEALS IN FLORIDA
T hrough Local Recreation Programs
A White Paper Prepared By
With Support From &
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Introduction
Florida Impact is dedicated to securing economic justice in Florida by reducing hunger and poverty. Since 1979, Florida Impact has helped community leaders secure more responsive public programs and policies to address hunger by mobilizing
communities to increase access to federal food, nutrition, and other economic support programs. This focus supported the statewide establishment of the School Breakfast Program when school is in, and the
Afterschool Meal and Summer Food Service programs when school is out.
Since the establishment of the Afterschool Meals Program (AMP) in our state, Florida Impact has worked with after-school programs and providers to expand access to at-risk meals. Part of this work has involved analyzing the administration of the AMP in our state, comparing alternative approaches from different states, and identifying solutions to program barriers.
In our research, we identified
municipal and county Parks and Recreation Departments as a group that could greatly
expand access to meals if minor adjustments were made to the existing State statute. This white paper describes the current administration of the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program in Florida and recommends adopting legislation for government-sponsored recreation programs.
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About the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded, state-administered nutrition program that provides funding to child and adult care centers and homes that serve healthy meals and snacks. The Department of Agriculture’s
(“USDA”) Food and Nutrition Service (“FNS”) administers the CACFP at the federal level. Since 2010, the At-Risk Afterschool Meals (“AMP”) component of the CACFP has provided meal reimbursements for eligible at-risk after-school sites in all 50 states and
the District of Columbia.1 Under the Federal regulations of the USDA, eligible
after-school programs do not need to be licensed to participate in the program, unless there is a state or local requirement for licensing.2 If there is no state or local requirement for
licensing, then after-school programs must meet state or local health and safety standards.
In Florida, the Department of Health’s Bureau of Child Care Food Programs (“DOH BCFP”) administers the AMP and requires participating sites to have child care licensure or proof of exemption from licensure pursuant to the regulations promulgated
by the Florida Department of Children and Families (“DCF”).3
In a 2016 report released by the Food Research Action Center, Florida data shows that for every 100 low income children that received a free lunch under the National School Lunch Program, only 6.8 children received an after-school supper. If that ratio were increased to 15 children per 100, Florida would receive an additional
$6,865,936 in federal funds.4
Florida’s AMP
To participate in the AMP, eligible at-risk after-school programs must submit an application to the Florida Department of Health.5 To be eligible, an at-risk after-school
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the weekends, holidays, or school vacations during the regular school year; (2) Provide organized regularly scheduled education or enrichment activities (i.e., in a structured and supervised environment); and (3) Be located in an attendance area of a school where at least 50 percent or more of the children are eligible for free or reduced price meals.
In addition to meeting federal eligibility requirements, sites in Florida are
required to provide documentation of a Child Care License from DCF or Local Licensing Agency; a letter from DCF or the local licensing agency stating licensure is not required; or a Religious-Exempt Accreditation Certificate.
Child Care Licensing in Florida
The Florida Legislature has delegated broad authority to DCF to “establish statewide minimum standards for the care and protection of children in child care facilities, to ensure maintenance of these standards, and to approve county
administration and enforcement to regulate conditions in such facilities through a program of licensing.”6
DCF regulates child care licensure and exempts certain types of facilities and
arrangements from licensure.7 License-exempt programs are still required to comply
with local health and safety laws and employees must undergo the state’s minimum
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DCF regulates licensed child care facilities, licensed family day care homes, licensed large family child care homes, and licensed mildly ill facilities in 62 of the 67
counties in Florida.9 Five counties have decided, either by statute or by the adoption of
a local ordinance or resolution, to designate a local licensing authority to regulate child care providers in their areas. The following counties have elected to exercise this
option: Broward, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota. Florida Statute
402.36 requires that the local licensing must meet or exceed state minimum standards.
Florida’s Child Care Facilities
The Florida Statutes define child care as “the care, protection, and supervision of a child for a period of less than 24 hours a day on a regular basis, which supplements parental care, enrichment, and health supervision for the child, in accordance with his or
her individual needs, and for which a payment, fee or grant is made for care.”10 “Child
Care Facility” includes any child care center or child care arrangement which provides child care for more than five children unrelated to the operator and which receives a payment, fee, or grant for any of the children receiving care, wherever operated, and
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whether or not operated for profit. If a program meets the statutory definition of child care, it is subject to regulation by DCF or local licensing agencies, unless the statute specifically does not include it in the definition of a child care facility.
Many Parks and Recreation Departments operated by local counties and
municipalities throughout the state offer government-operated after-school recreation programs, which the Florida Statues defines as “a program for which an agency
assumes responsibility for a child participating in that program, including, but not limited to, after-school programs, athletic programs, nature programs, summer camps,
or other recreational programs.”11 These programs are regulated by both state and
local government, including requiring Level 2 background checks for all employees and mandatory fire, safety, and health inspections.
Many of the children in these programs are low income, which is one of the eligibility requirements for AMP sites. Expanding local government sites could greatly increase access to meals for hungry children throughout the state. However, in order to qualify for AMP, these local government entities are being required to undergo child care licensure, which is a burdensome, duplicitous, and costly endeavor that
discourages them from pursuing AMP funding, and ultimately prevents them from serving federally-funded meals to hungry children who attend their after-school programs.
As an example of duplicate regulation, under State Statute,12 even though all
programs are already required by their city or county governments to conduct Level 2 Background Screens on all staff, DCF requires those same programs to put the same personnel through the same screening a second time. As another example, prior to approving licensure, and on a regular basis thereafter, DCF must conduct fire inspections, playground inspections, and occupancy load assessments, which
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city/county governments already do, resulting in having to now do it twice. DCF also reviews registration forms, employee applications, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, fanny packs, staff training documentation, emergency drills, and transportation regulations at each potential location, even though local government policy and municipal code
already require their after-school programs to uphold and audit compliance with published
standards. Also, even though local governments who operate after-school programs at multiple sites must, per municipal policy,
maintain all employee records in the government’s central human resources office, DCF requires them to duplicate the records and keep copies at each after-school site. And, when municipalities try to embed tutoring, cultural arts and academic enrichment activities in their after-school programs to
support children’s academic achievement, DCF requires that the Certified Teachers they hire must undergo duplicate Level 2 Background Screens and attain a DCF School Age Children Certification including a mandated 45 hours of training and exams. Likewise, contracted instructors who provide enrichment activities such as violin, art, health and nutrition, chorus and dance classes, and are certified in their fields of expertise, must all undergo duplicate Level 2 Background Screens and take the aforementioned training. These mandates discourage teachers and instructors from working in government-operated after-school programs, further complicating efforts of municipalities that
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collaborate with local school districts to improve the
academic performance of low income children in their communities by embedding academic enrichments in after-school programs.
These duplicative
regulations have a chilling effect on parks and recreation departments that want to serve meals. As a result, these
agencies don’t pursue DCF licensure, leaving thousands of Florida’s low income children who could benefit from after-school meals going without.
Recommendation
The Florida Legislature should amend Florida Statute 402.302 to exclude government-sponsored recreation programs for school-aged children from the
definition of child care facility when these programs are properly regulated at the state and local level. Such legislative action would honor the definition of “government-sponsored recreation program” that already exists in Florida Statute, and ensure
compliance with Level 2 screening requirements for personnel pursuant to Chapter 435. This would eliminate burdensome and costly licensing requirements for counties and municipalities that offer after-school recreation programs through parks and recreation departments, thereby removing barriers for participation in the AMP and greatly
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Proposed Legislation for Government-Sponsored Recreation Programs
Under Florida Statute 402.302, the following child care centers or child care arrangements are not included in the definition of child care facility:
(a) Public schools and nonpublic schools and their integral programs, except as provided in s. 402.3025;
(b) Summer camps having children in full-time residence; (c) Summer day camps;
(d) Bible schools normally conducted during vacation periods; and (e) Operators of transient establishments, as defined in chapter 509, which provide child care services solely for the guests of their establishment or resort, provided that all child care personnel of the establishment are screened according to the level 2 screening requirements of chapter 435.
We contend that the Legislature should exclude government-sponsored
recreation programs from the definition of a child care facility, and therefore the below language and definition should be added to the statute:
(f) Government Sponsored Recreation Programs, as defined in this chapter.
(19) “Government Sponsored Recreation Programs” means a school-age recreation program operated by a county or municipality with three hours or less per day of programming, provided the government body of the county or municipality adopts standards of care by ordinance for such programs, that such standards are provided to the parents of each program participant, and that the ordinances shall include, at a minimum, staffing ratios, minimum staff qualifications including Level 2 background checks for all staff and volunteers working at the facilities, and minimum facility, health and safety standards; furthermore, provided that the local government body certifies that the Program is in compliance with said standards; and further provided that
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parents be informed that the program is not licensed by the state and the program is not advertised as a child care facility.
Such legislation would eliminate duplicative requirements for parks and
recreation departments operated and staffed by counties and municipalities. Florida would join several states in exempting such programs, and benefit by saving resources and expanding access to at-risk after school meals through government-sponsored recreation programs.
Examples from Other States
The state of Texas exempts certain after-school and summer recreation programs from state licensing requirements, including:
An elementary-age recreation program operated by a municipality provided the government body of the municipality annually adopts standards of care by ordinance after a public hearing for such programs, that such standards are provided to the parents of each program participant, and that the ordinances shall include, at a minimum, staffing ratios, minimum staff qualifications, minimum facility, health and safety standards, and mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing the adopted local standards; and further provided that parents be informed that the program is not licensed by the state and the program may not be advertised as a child care facility.13
As an example of how this is implemented at the local level, the local government in Georgetown, Texas, adopted an Ordinance on March 14, 2017, effectively making the City of Georgetown exempt from Texas Child Care Services regulations, in a manner that is distinct from Florida’s current policy where counties may opt to regulate child
10
care. In Florida, counties are only able to do so if they accept responsibility for regulating all forms of child care countywide, including all municipalities and all privately run childcare centers and child care programs operated by non-profit organizations. In contrast, the City of Georgetown in Texas, is not responsible for regulating all child care throughout the city, but merely setting forth minimum
standards by which the Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department will operate its youth recreation programs.
Georgia14, Virginia15, Illinois16, Minnesota17, Wisconsin18, Nebraska19, and
Wyoming20 are also among the states that exempt recreation activities offered by local
11
Conclusion
Parks and recreation programs across the state of Florida which are referred to in State Statute as government-sponsored recreation programs, already assume
responsibility for the children they serve and, under the proposed legislation should adopt and comply with State and local regulations to operate these programs, rather than being licensed by DCF.
To effect this change, this white paper recommends amending Florida Statute 402.302 to exclude government-sponsored recreation programs from licensure if they are in compliance with the screening requirements for personnel pursuant to s. 402.302 and enforce locally legislated standards.
Florida Impact believes that this change will greatly increase the benefit of AMP to Florida’s at-risk youth. By encouraging local governments to adopt the program through their wide network of after-school recreation centers, our state’s low income children can get access to healthy and nutritious meals.
Authored by,
Trudy Novicki, President/CEO Florida Impact
End Notes
1 Pub. L. No. 111-296, 124 STAT. 3183. 2 7 C.F.R. § 226.6(d)(1).
3 Fla. Stat. §402.301-319.
4 2018 After School Nutrition Report, Table 2 Average Daily Participation(ADP) in
Supper and Additional Federal Reimbursement if states reached FRAC’s goal of 15 supper participants per 100 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participants, www.frac.org.
5 Florida Department of Health, Afterschool Meals Program:
http://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/childrens-health/child-care-food-program/afterschool-meal-program.html.
6 Fla. Stat. §402.301(1).
7 Fla. Admin. Code R. 65C-22.008. 8 Fla. Admin. Code R. 65C-22.008(3).
9 Florida Statutes 402.301-402.319 provides statewide minimum standards for the
care and protection of children in child care facilities.
10 Fla. Stat. § 402.302 (1) 11 Fla. Stat. §119.071(5)(c). 12 Fla. Stat. §435.
13 Georgetown, Texas, Municipal Code §8.40 adopting Standards of Care for youth
recreation programs.
14 Georgia exempts programs that are owned and operated by any department or
agency of state, county, or municipal government. This includes, but is not limited to, the customary school day, as defined in Georgia law, and before and/or after school programs in public schools operated by the public school system and staffed with school system employees and recreation programs operated by city or county parks and recreation departments and staffed with city or county employees.
15 Virginia exempts a program of recreational activities offered by local governments,
staffed by local government employees, and attended by school-age children. Such programs shall be subject to safety and supervisory standards established by local governments.
16 Illinois exempts special activities programs, including athletics, crafts instruction
and similar activities conducted on an organized and periodic basis by civic, charitable and governmental organizations. [225 ILCS 10/2.09]
17 Minnesota: exempts recreation programs for children or adults that are operated or
approved by a park and recreation board whose primary purpose is to provide social and recreational activities. Minnesota Statutes, 245A.03, subdivision 2.
18 Wisconsin exempts parents, guardians and certain other relatives; public and
parochial (private) schools; persons employed to come to the home of the child’s parent to provide care for less than 24 hours per day; and counties, cities, towns, school districts and libraries that provide programs for children primarily intended for social or recreational purposes from the requirement for a license. Section 48.65 (2), Stats.
19 Nebraska exempts recreation camps as defined in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 71-3101, a
recreation facility, center, or program operated by a political or governmental subdivision pursuant to the authority provided in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 13-304;
20 Wyoming exempts child care facilities supervised by the state, any local
government, school district or agency or political subdivision thereof.
