The sixth public hearing of the Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time will be held on Thursday, July 19 from 5 PM - 8 PM at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth campus, located at 285 Old Westport Road in North Dartmouth. The public hearing will be held in the Woodland Community Commons in Conference Room 1 & 2.
The remaining public hearings of the Special Commission will be held in the fall.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sixth Public Hearing Scheduled for Southeastern MA
The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time has announced its sixth public hearing. It will be held on Thursday, July 19 from 5 PM - 8 PM in the Southeastern region of the state. Additional details will be forthcoming regarding the public hearing location.
The four remaining public hearings will be held in the fall for the Cape & Islands, North Shore, Merrimack Valley and Greater Boston regions.
Please contact Debra McLaughlin at 617.792.3193 or at dmclaughlin@kunnusta.com if you have any questions.
The four remaining public hearings will be held in the fall for the Cape & Islands, North Shore, Merrimack Valley and Greater Boston regions.
Please contact Debra McLaughlin at 617.792.3193 or at dmclaughlin@kunnusta.com if you have any questions.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
The Special Commission Issues Press Release about its Fifth Public Hearing
The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time Announces Public Hearing
Special Commission to Convene Fifth Public Hearing in Quincy, June 7, 2007, 5 PM - 8 PM
Boston, Massachusetts - June 4, 2007 - The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time announces its fifth public hearing to be held at the Quincy City Hall, 1305 Hancock Street, in Quincy on Thursday, June 7, 2007, from 5 PM - 8 PM in the second floor conference room. Prior to the public hearing, members of the Special Commission will be touring the Atlantic After School program located at 136 Rawson Road in North Quincy, Massachusetts. Atlantic After School, operated by South Shore Day Care Services, is a community-based afterschool program serving 52 children K-5th grade.
This Special Commission was created by the Massachusetts Legislature to "study and recommend how to' define and 'better coordinate, expand, finance and improve accessible, affordable, and quality out of school time programming for school age children in all settings in Massachusetts."
Led by Senator Thomas McGee (D-Lynn), the Chair of the Senate's Labor and Workforce Development Committee and Representative Marie St. Fleur (D-Boston), the Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, the 36 member Commission has committed to holding at least nine public hearings throughout the state to gather input about the Commonwealth's afterschool system. Youth, parents, community and faith-based providers, law enforcement officials, educators, funders, business and other community leaders are expected to attend and provide testimony.
"We have a historic opportunity to gain a better understanding of the importance of afterschool programs in the lives of children, youth and families," said Senator Thomas McGee. "Since a quality workforce is a linchpin of the afterschool system, we need to identify solutions to strengthen it. We look forward to gathering information from the public hearings and site visits that will help us figure out this and other ways to better serve children and youth when they are not in school."
"Currently, Massachusetts provides afterschool programs to approximately 20% of the Commonwealth's school age population," noted Representative Marie St. Fleur. "It is well documented that the time period between 2PM and 6PM is the most hazardous, if unsupervised, for children of that age. It is clear that we need to closely examine how public/private partnerships can leverage existing resources to serve more children and youth to coordinate and strengthen a system of afterschool and expanded learning that promotes their healthy development. The public hearings and site visits will help us to hear from all stakeholders on this important matter."
"We are so pleased that the Special Commission is taking the time to visit community programs," said Sheri Adlin, Executive Director of South Shore Day Care Services. "It is a great opportunity to observe and learn more about school aged care programs and the ways we can even better meet the needs of children and families."
1.1 Million School Aged Children and Youth in Massachusetts
There are 1.1 million school aged children and youth ages 5-18 that live in Massachusetts. Of that group, 720,000 are children ages 5-13 and 380,000 are youth ages 14-19. Current state funding serves 205,500 children and youth leaving nearly 80% without access to quality and enriching afterschool and summer opportunities.
The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time intends to study this issue more in-depth. In addition to holding the nine public hearings, it will also convene three working groups that will 1) analyze information and access issues; 2) identify quality, workforce and professional development concerns, and 3) determine how the afterschool system in the Commonwealth can be sustained. The Special Commission expects to issue a report in the fall of 2007 that will have recommendations in these areas which will strengthen the Commonwealth's afterschool system.
About The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time
The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time has been created 'to study and recommend how to' define and 'better coordinate, expand, finance and improve accessible, affordable, and quality out-of-school time programming for school age children in all settings in Massachusetts."
The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time For More Information Contact:
Debra McLaughlin, Consultant to the Commission
dmclaughlin@kunnusta.com
617.792.3173
Visit Our Blog:
http://www.massafterschoolcomm.blogspot.com
Visit Our Website:
http://www.massafterschoolcomm.org
Special Commission to Convene Fifth Public Hearing in Quincy, June 7, 2007, 5 PM - 8 PM
Boston, Massachusetts - June 4, 2007 - The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time announces its fifth public hearing to be held at the Quincy City Hall, 1305 Hancock Street, in Quincy on Thursday, June 7, 2007, from 5 PM - 8 PM in the second floor conference room. Prior to the public hearing, members of the Special Commission will be touring the Atlantic After School program located at 136 Rawson Road in North Quincy, Massachusetts. Atlantic After School, operated by South Shore Day Care Services, is a community-based afterschool program serving 52 children K-5th grade.
This Special Commission was created by the Massachusetts Legislature to "study and recommend how to' define and 'better coordinate, expand, finance and improve accessible, affordable, and quality out of school time programming for school age children in all settings in Massachusetts."
Led by Senator Thomas McGee (D-Lynn), the Chair of the Senate's Labor and Workforce Development Committee and Representative Marie St. Fleur (D-Boston), the Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, the 36 member Commission has committed to holding at least nine public hearings throughout the state to gather input about the Commonwealth's afterschool system. Youth, parents, community and faith-based providers, law enforcement officials, educators, funders, business and other community leaders are expected to attend and provide testimony.
"We have a historic opportunity to gain a better understanding of the importance of afterschool programs in the lives of children, youth and families," said Senator Thomas McGee. "Since a quality workforce is a linchpin of the afterschool system, we need to identify solutions to strengthen it. We look forward to gathering information from the public hearings and site visits that will help us figure out this and other ways to better serve children and youth when they are not in school."
"Currently, Massachusetts provides afterschool programs to approximately 20% of the Commonwealth's school age population," noted Representative Marie St. Fleur. "It is well documented that the time period between 2PM and 6PM is the most hazardous, if unsupervised, for children of that age. It is clear that we need to closely examine how public/private partnerships can leverage existing resources to serve more children and youth to coordinate and strengthen a system of afterschool and expanded learning that promotes their healthy development. The public hearings and site visits will help us to hear from all stakeholders on this important matter."
"We are so pleased that the Special Commission is taking the time to visit community programs," said Sheri Adlin, Executive Director of South Shore Day Care Services. "It is a great opportunity to observe and learn more about school aged care programs and the ways we can even better meet the needs of children and families."
1.1 Million School Aged Children and Youth in Massachusetts
There are 1.1 million school aged children and youth ages 5-18 that live in Massachusetts. Of that group, 720,000 are children ages 5-13 and 380,000 are youth ages 14-19. Current state funding serves 205,500 children and youth leaving nearly 80% without access to quality and enriching afterschool and summer opportunities.
The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time intends to study this issue more in-depth. In addition to holding the nine public hearings, it will also convene three working groups that will 1) analyze information and access issues; 2) identify quality, workforce and professional development concerns, and 3) determine how the afterschool system in the Commonwealth can be sustained. The Special Commission expects to issue a report in the fall of 2007 that will have recommendations in these areas which will strengthen the Commonwealth's afterschool system.
About The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time
The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time has been created 'to study and recommend how to' define and 'better coordinate, expand, finance and improve accessible, affordable, and quality out-of-school time programming for school age children in all settings in Massachusetts."
The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time For More Information Contact:
Debra McLaughlin, Consultant to the Commission
dmclaughlin@kunnusta.com
617.792.3173
Visit Our Blog:
http://www.massafterschoolcomm.blogspot.com
Visit Our Website:
http://www.massafterschoolcomm.org
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