Assemblywoman Donna Ferrara (R, C-Westbury) recently announced the availability through the State Office of Children and Family Services of $5 million in grants available under the state's Advantage After-School Program.

"The program provides funding for after-school activities operated in cooperation with schools, school districts, child care, after-school, cultural and other community-based providers. It allows a community to fill an important child-care need within its society," said Ferrara.

The grants represent a $4.5 million increase over 1998-99 levels for the program, which was established in 1998. Awards to community-based providers take into consideration local matching funds (at least 25 percent), in-kind contributions, fund contributed by local school districts, and any other contributions.

The after-school program must operate, at a minimum, from 3 to 6 p.m., and each program must be open to all students from that school district. Programs designed to reach out to include students with special needs are given higher priority for consideration. Programs must also include a clear strategy for preventing school violence as part of a broad range of age-appropriate program activities. Preference will be given to programs operated in school buildings. Other sites will be considered where another location can be justified as more compelling and sensible.

Awards will be made in two categories:

* Expansion and improvement of existing after-school programs. Awards will be made to expand the capacity of existing after-school programs and to enable them to achieve the program standards of excellence. Awards in this category will be between $25,000 and $150,000 in state funds.

* Creation of new after-school programs. Awards will be made to start new after-school programs in communities where no significant community-school partnership currently exists, and where there is documented "substantial need" and commitment to establish such a program. Substantial need is to be determined by the gap between the current availability of age-appropriate youth development programs and activities in the community during non-school hours, and the number of children in need of these services. Awards in this category will range from $100,000 to $500,000 in state funds.

The amounts specified are based on a 12-month period, and funding may be renewed for up to five years, pending the availability of funds.

Regional sessions providing technical assistance for completing the requests for proposals, RFPs, will be provided throughout the state during the month of January. Requests for proposals are available through:

Newell Eaton

Carol Miller

Strategic Planning

NYS Office of Children and Family Services

Riverview Center, 6th Floor

40 North Pearl Street

Albany, NY 12243

(518) 473-8735

(518) 473-4463

(518) 486-7643 Fax

6503ww@dfa.state.ny.us

The RFP submittal deadline is March 1; review and ranking will be completed by March 31. Governor Pataki will announce the rewards in April.

"Providing age-appropriate supervised activities for youngsters who need after-school supervision is an extremely important mission. I salute the Office of Children and Family Services for its efforts in this area," said Ferrara.