How to start an after-school program.

1. Find out if you need a license

   Some states exempt programs a school runs itself. In California, an outside group at a school needs a license.

   Source: Child Care Center General Licensing Requirements, Section 101158

2. Choose who you will serve

   Pick the grades, the days and the hours you will offer. Decide if you will run summer days too.

3. Find your space

   Ask a school, a library or a community center about rooms after hours. Check the space against your state rules.

4. Look for funding

   The federal 21st Century program pays for after-school centers. Each state runs its own grant contest.

   Source: Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV, Part B)

5. Hire and check your staff

   Run background checks on everyone who supervises children. Virginia asks this even of programs it exempts.

   Source: Exempt Child Day Programs

6. Plan your ratios

   Decide how many children each adult will watch. If you are licensed, follow your state ratio rules.

7. Open enrollment

   Share your hours, fees and forms with families. Collect each child’s health information before the first day.

Your state may say something else. Read your state’s licensing guide, then ask its licensing office.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

• The program pays for learning centers for children outside school hours. It focuses on students at high-poverty, low-performing schools.Source: Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV, Part B)
• The U.S. Department of Education sends the money to states. Each state then holds its own grant contest.Source: Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV, Part B)
• School districts, community-based groups and tribes can apply to their state.Source: Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV, Part B)
• Faith-based groups are eligible too.Source: Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV, Part B)

Ask your state education agency when its next grant contest opens.

• In California, districts can contract with outside providers to run programs away from school campuses.Source: California Education Code Section 46120

• Ask nearby schools if they share rooms after the school day ends.
• Look at libraries, places of worship and community centers with open afternoons.
• Plan for a quiet homework area, room to move and a place to eat a snack.
• Read your state’s rules on the space before you sign anything.

• Virginia’s exempt programs must still run background checks on staff and volunteers who supervise children.Source: Exempt Child Day Programs
• The Justice Department’s public website searches sex offender registries for all 50 states.Source: Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
• California’s state-funded ASES programs keep no more than 20 students for each staff member.Source: California Education Code Section 8483.4
• In those programs, staff who supervise students must meet the district’s rules for an instructional aide.Source: California Education Code Section 8483.4

Ratios for licensed programs differ by state. The ratio calculator shows the staff each group needs.