State law provides the board of directors of any school district the authority to establish and maintain preschools and to provide before-and-after school and vacation care.
In 2007, the Washington Community Learning Center program was established to support the creation or expansion of these centers to provide students with tutoring and educational enrichment when school is not in session. Subject to appropriations, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) may provide grants to public or private organizations that meet the eligibility criteria of the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program.
OSPI oversees the administration of the federal grant, Title IV Part B, which funds 21st century programs. According the U.S. Department of Education, Washington State has received approximately $20 million per fiscal year. According to OSPI, beginning July 1, 2025, it decided to not exercise authority to renew grants based on previous performance but to award funds to eligible entities through a competitive application process.
In 2017, the Washington Academic, Innovation, and Mentoring Program was established to enable eligible neighborhood youth development entities to provide out-of-school time programs for youth ages 6 to 18 that include educational services, social-emotional learning, mentoring, and linkages to positive, prosocial leisure, and recreational activities. According to an annual report, one entity received funding for this program from fiscal year 2020 to 2025. This funding was removed in the 2025-27 operating budget.
In 2021, an operating budget proviso directed the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to convene a work group to assess and provide recommendations for creating new infrastructures and funding streams that support youth development. The work group included representatives from community-based organizations providing youth development programs, including expanded learning, mentoring, school age child care, and wrap around supports and integrated student supports. The work group recommended creating an advisory council to create a youth development state structure and providing additional state funding to youth development providers.
A non-appropriated youth development fund account, which retains its own interest, is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from gifts, grants, or endowments from public or private sources, federal funds, any appropriations made by the Legislature, or other sources for the specified purpose of the account must be deposited in the account. Only the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) may authorize expenditures from the account, subject to allotment procedures.
SPI or a designee may distribute grants from the account to nonprofit entities, entities sponsored by a nonprofit organization, federally recognized tribes including those whose traditional lands and territories include parts of Washington state, and city or county parks and recreation entities to support youth development programs. School districts and educational service districts may be eligible to apply for grants only when they are partnering with community-based organizations or when no such nonprofit programs exist in their location.
Youth development programs may include, but are not limited to, programs that provide:
When authorizing these expenditures, SPI must prioritize:
Any entity receiving grants must annually report the impacts of this funding to OSPI.
The Office of Native Education, within OSPI, must engage in consultations with federally recognized tribes when OSPI designs and administers grants that affect tribal applicants or recipients including any reporting requirements which must respect tribal data sovereignty and community-defined measures of success
"Youth development program" means a program that serves youth between the ages of 5 to 24 and focuses on holistic outcomes by complementing school-day academics. A youth development program may include mentoring, expanded learning opportunities, after school or summer programs, school-aged child care, or other child supports that address the comprehensive needs of young people.
The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. PRO: Raising children is harder than ever, especially for vulnerable families, and youth development programs can strengthen the entire family and communities. Youth development programs can help meet students' basic needs and this will help them fully access their education. Student mental health is struggling, and youth development programs with consistent and caring adults can help. This bill creates an account that will help increase access to youth development programs outside of the school day and will allow OSPI or a designee to distribute grants to communities most in need. These programs will help youth develop resilience and thrive, and they help kids with socialization and personal development. It's important to move this bill forward even during challenging fiscal times. Funding for youth development programs were cut across multiple agencies last session. This bill does not require additional state funding but creates an account to consolidate this funding. Funding for youth development programs is upstream investment and helps prevent chronic absenteeism, interaction with juvenile justice system, time on screens and social media, helps working families, and improves youth mental health. The bill should add language regarding support to tribal youth and consulting with tribes. Youth development programs keep kids safe, smart, and employable.