About AOSN

Goals

Specific Objectives of AOSN include:

  • Expand and develop the Arkansas Out-of-School Network, its coalition of partners, and its capacity to promote and build a statewide system of after school programs.

    • Using Arkansas State University’s Childhood Services to serve as the fiduciary agent and lead agency for the organizations and contract with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) to provide public policy development and serve as a partner in expanding and strengthening the Arkansas Out-of-School Network.

    • Expand Arkansas’ existing network of partners who are committed to making quality afterschool programs available across the state. This will be done using a two-pronged approach that ensures quality and successful outcomes and creates the policies necessary to sustain them in the future.

  • Develop policies that create, expand and sustain quality school-linked or school-based after school programs in Arkansas.

    • Build a consensus among key decision makers and gain their support on key policy issues that would support school-based or school-linked out-of-school programs.

    • Engage the state’s key decision makers to shape and implement plans of action to employ quality standards, build public and private support, and obtain additional revenues for out-of school programs.

    • Establish, monitor and improve polices or regulations that enhance and sustain school-linked or school-based programs in Arkansas.

  • Bring together public, private and non-profit stakeholders to inventory and share resources, and to establish a method for measuring and implementing quality school-based or school-linked after school programs.

    • Build relationships between the broad range of school age care and out-of-school programs to work toward a comprehensive statewide system that supports best practices for academic enrichment and high quality programs.

    • Facilitate the development of a resource center that will coordinate with local and state agencies and out-of-school programs to identify and maximize the use of existing resources for high quality training and technical assistance that meet the needs of the diverse population of school age providers.

    • Develop the infrastructure necessary to manage an information system and web site that will become a clearinghouse and resource center for out-of-school information and training and technical assistance.