Rep. Hart offered the following concurrent resolution:
House Concurrent Resolution No. 65.
A concurrent resolution to request the Michigan Department of Education and the Family Independence Agency to extend the duration of the Michigan After-School Initiative and expand the scope of its membership and efforts.
Whereas, In 2003, the Michigan House of Representatives requested the Department of Education and the Family Independence Agency to convene a task force to develop quality after-school programs for all Michigan children. This initiative centered on efforts to assess the status of after-school services in Michigan, including identifying the number of children and youth served statewide in after-school programs and to develop a plan to ensure quality after-school programs for every school-age child in the state; and
Whereas, The Michigan After-School Initiative’s survey found that 449,928 children are home alone after school in Michigan and potentially in need of programs during the hours they are not in school. The survey of Michigan households indicated that nearly one-third of Michigan’s children are left to care for themselves for one to five days per week, and research shows that the likelihood of high-risk behaviors increases when youth are home alone 10 or more hours a week; and
Whereas, Structured experiences for youth provide excellent economic returns in that after-school programs can reduce child care costs, improve school performance, increase compensation/future taxable income earnings, reduce crime costs, and reduce welfare costs; and
Whereas, Almost 70 percent of all Michigan school-age children live in families where the sole parent or both parents work. Being unsupervised during the non-school hours puts children and youth at greater risk of truancy, performing poorly in school, depression, substance abuse, and becoming a victim of crime; and
Whereas, Providing structured experiences for youth can positively impact the public’s health, as nearly 40 percent of Michigan youth say they engage in insufficient amount of physical activity. At least 10.7 percent of high school youth are overweight, and 13.3 percent are at risk for becoming overweight. It is far more likely that overweight youth will be overweight as adults, and the direct and indirect costs associated with physical inactivity in Michigan in 2002 are estimated at $8.9 billion; and
Whereas, The survey also found that 71 percent of families are without after-school programs and that 48 percent of Michigan families who do not have after-school care wish their children could attend after-school programs; and
Whereas, Research indicates that children who attend high-quality, out-of-school programs have better peer relations, emotional adjustment, conflict resolution skills, grades, and conduct in school compared to their peers who are not in out-of-school-time programs; and
Whereas, Children who attend quality out-of-school-time programs spend more time in learning opportunities, academic activities, and enrichment activities and spend less time watching television than their peers; and
Whereas, Parents and youth interviewed for the Michigan After-School Initiative detailed time and time again the positive difference out-of-school-time programs made in their lives and the lives of their families; and
Whereas, The 2003 task force report issued by the Michigan After-School Initiative focused on actions that would strengthen the state’s ability to support high-quality, affordable, out-of-school-time programs and recommended policy changes in the areas of funding, interagency collaboration, capacity building, community collaboration, and evaluation. Implementing these recommendations will require the continued collaboration, focus, and commitment of the Michigan Department of Education and the Family Independence Agency; and
Whereas, The recommendations of the Michigan After-School Initiative reflect the expertise of parents and more than 70 representatives from 45 organizations that included state agencies, public institutions, and private nonprofit organizations with extensive experience in education, youth development, research, violence prevention, juvenile justice, child care, volunteerism, business, and social work. It is imperative for Michigan’s school-age children and youth that the collaboration that produced this shared vision for out-of-school-time programming continue; and
Whereas, Hundreds of thousands of Michigan children and youth will be denied the opportunity to participate in activities that can help them reach their full potential and avoid the negative choices that are costly and detrimental to society if the state fails to implement the recommendations of the Michigan After-School Initiative: 1) to reinforce and extend existing public support for after-school programs; 2) to develop state structures and policies that support quality after-school programming; 3) to identify and facilitate access to sustainable funding mechanisms for existing after-school programs; 4) to ensure that all Michigan school-age children have access to a variety of quality after-school programs that enhance physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development; and 5) to alleviate after-school childcare burdens of working parents and caregivers; and
Whereas, The Michigan After-School Initiative’s report recommended that the Legislature extend the duration of the initiative and to include oversight of the implementation plan; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we request the Michigan Department of Education and the Family Independence Agency to extend the duration of the Michigan After-School Initiative, to rename it the Michigan After-School Partnership, and to oversee efforts to implement the policy recommendations and strategic next steps identified in the Michigan After-School Initiative’s report; and be it further
Resolved, That we urge that participation in the Michigan After-School Partnership be expanded beyond the membership of the initial Michigan After-School Initiative to increase the representation of parents, youth, foundations, employers, and others with experience in education, child care, after-school and youth development services, and crime and violence prevention and to include representation from the Department of Community Health; and be it further
Resolved, That we urge the Michigan After-School Partnership to work diligently with the private sector to understand the out-of-school-time needs of employed parents and their families, and that the partnership engage the public and private sectors in building and sustaining high quality out-of-school-time programs; and be it further
Resolved, That we urge that each year, on or before December 31, the Michigan After-School Partnership report its progress in reaching the recommendations set forth in the Michigan After-School Initiative’s report to the Legislature and the Governor; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Michigan Department of Education and the Family Independence Agency.
R 0487 '04