Congress has just days in the legislative session in July to act on a new COVID-19 stimulus. They need to hear from Virginia's out-of-school time community on how the pandemic continues to impact families, youth, and program staff. Help Congress keep these concerns at the top of their mind when determining FY21 appropriations levels and negotiating coronavirus relief legislation. Additionally, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are preparing to pass FY21 spending bills determining education funding levels for the next fiscal year.

There are specific policy issues that help support youth and ensure out-of-school-time organizations can navigate the impact of this crisis:

• $500 million immediate increase in 21st CCLC Programs

• Include financial recovery supports for non-profit organizations and small business afterschool providers in any congressional stimulus package, including support of the WORK NOW Act (S. 3747) and the Save Organizations that Serve America Act (SOS America Act, H.R. 6408)

• Increase the capacity of both the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA programs (as in the bipartisan CORPS Act - S. 3964).

Please act now on this time-sensitive matter and urge Congress to prioritize youth in the Coronavirus response.