FIN 2022-03-14 Item 1B - ARPA - 2022 Before and After-School Programming and Enrichment Update (American Rescue Plan Act Funding)

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1111111111111111111, TO: City of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM Finance & Governance Committee FROM: Tracy Gallaway, Parks & Recreation Director Vicky Carlsen, Finance Director CC: Mayor Ekberg DATE: March 14, 2022 SUBJECT: Before & After School Programming and Enrichment Funding Allocation ISSUE Staff would like to update Council on how we plan to use a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds dedicated to Before and After School programming and Enrichment at the Tukwila Community Center. Staff is planning to restore and expand preschool offerings and add back youth Winter Break Camp, along with the After School programs and Enrichment that the committee already approved in July 2021. BACKGROUND As a part of the pandemic -related budget reductions Before and After School programming and Enrichment at TCC was eliminated. Staff recognized that there is a need for these services in our community and brought back 50 slots for the 2021/2022 school year. In addition, they are providing alternative After School Enrichment activities such as music, arts & crafts, and sports for kids not in the traditional After School program. These were funded and approved by the council with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. DISCUSSION Tukwila Parks & Recreation's provision of Before and After School programming has long been a popular necessity for Tukwila families that included Winter Break Camp. One of the issues that have been identified with families in the After School program is a need for care during the winter break. As such, staff are proposing to bring back the Winter Break Camp. Staff are going to use a portion of our After School Program ARPA allocation to restore the traditionally offered Winter Break Camp that is primarily used by our After School Program families. Staff will track these costs within the Youth Programs budget in the financial system. Tukwila Parks & Recreation currently offers a Preschool program that serves 10 kids, 4 days a week over the school year and a Play & Learn session that serves another 10 kids, once a week also during the school year. As these are the only preschool activities being offered and less than the pre -pandemic level of programming, staff are proposing to expand current programming. Staff are going to use a portion of the After School ARPA allocation to expand our current preschool after school programming to year-round. Staff intend to use ARPA funds for the additional 10 hours per week needed to increase the capacity of our After School Preschool employee to achieve year-round programming. Expanding this program to year-round, which includes a five-week summer camp and special events throughout the year, is appropriate and within ARPA compliance as it helps restore cut Preschool programming and addresses the negative impacts of covid, related to education, socialization, and disparity, on this group. Staff will track the cost of this within the Preschool Program budget in the financial system.