California’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Programs (ELO-P) prevails during unprecedented times and actions. This year's state budget constraints and short falls loomed, yet ELO-P was awarded $525M (totaling $4.4B annually) to fund universal before, after, and summer instruction for all Transitional Kindergarten (TK) - 6th grade students, targeting those with low incomes (Trailer Bill AB 121) as highlighted by the California After School Network. The integration of Universal Transitional Kindergarten and ELO-P creates a full-day, full-year for early learners and their families.
Over the past five years, the benefits from this $14B public investment reshaped out-of-school time for California's students through enrichment programs and specialized curriculum offerings. Policy advocates, Partnership for Children and Youth (PCY) and the California Afterschool, Advocacy and Alliance (CA3) network were hard at work collaborating to advocate for the unfreezing and release of over $930M due to the state.
This win means California schools can continue vital before-, after- and summer programs for school-age children, especially those from low-income backgrounds.
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