TENNESSEE AFTERSCHOOL NETWORK
2022 PUBLIC POLICY AGENDA
Tier 1 (Top priorities)
State Priorities
Education Goals
- Afterschool and summer programming (community and school-based) and childcare access, staffing, affordability and quality, including use of new and continued funding sources, including 21st Century Community Learning Grants, Lottery for Education Afterschool Programs, tutoring, literacy and special program monies.
- Increase pre-K funding, access, affordability and quality.
- Increase health, psychosocial, and mental health services in schools, afterschool, summer programming and childcare settings.
- Provide trauma-informed and sensitive environments in school, afterschool, summer programs, and childcare settings, including continued progress toward a trauma-informed youth system and child welfare system.
Financial Stability Goals
- UWTN ALICE (Asset limited income constrained employed) report components and findings impacting families with children ALICE in the Crosscurrents | United Ways of Tennessee (uwtn.org)
- TANF/Families First (childcare assistance, summer programming, afterschool)
Health Goals
- Sustain and expand resources to support resilient children, families, and communities, including 211 and Benefit Kitchen
- Prevention and treatment of substance abuse, suicide prevention, domestic violence, and access to behavioral health services
General Goals
- Increase access to internet and broadband
Federal Priorities
Education Goals
- Afterschool and summer learning and childcare (access, staffing, affordability and quality)
Financial Stability Goals
- SNAP
Health Goals
- Preservation and expansion of access to healthcare coverage
- Prevention and treatment of substance abuse, suicide prevention, domestic violence, and access to behavioral health services
General Goals
- Tax protections for charitable giving
- Increase access to internet and broadband, including expansion of E-rate
Tier Two Priorities
Monitoring, building groundwork for action, and/or signing-on as issues arise, but not taking a leadership role
State Priorities
Education
- Access to healthy food in afterschool and summer programming
- Funding for communities in schools
- Ensuring school funding isn’t diluted due to inflation
Financial Stability
- SNAP
Health
- Health and social service infrastructure*
- Coordinated School Health
Federal Priorities
Education
- Early Learning
Financial Stability
- Workforce development/WIOA
Health
- Health and social service infrastructure*
*Mental health services, substance abuse prevention and treatment, senior services, intellectual disabilities, transportation for health and human services, long-term care, and social workers in schools and other settings.