Kid Zone Participation - Performance Measure 1.18

Productive and engaged youth are better equipped to succeed in school, the work force and life. Investments in enriching out-of-school time activities, reduce the strain on police, ease the minds of working parents and provide healthy alternatives for youths' attention and energy. Through expanded learning opportunities, quality state accredited and Department of Health licensed programs, youth are actively engaged in daily skill building that enhances their overall learning experience. Out-of-school time opportunities keep youth in a safe, supervised environment where they connect with caring adults who deliver proper guidance, coaching and counseling to build life skills, help reduce risky behaviors and support children’s healthy development.

Measure

Achieve a community program participation rate per capita of Tempe youth during out-of-school hours greater than or equal to the national standards published by the Arizona After 3 PM and America After 3 PM Afterschool Alliances.

Why this Measure Matters

Tempe youth are safer when provided opportunities to participate in affordable, high quality, state accredited, licensed, out-of-school time, learning.  Children receive this care in their home schools supporting each child in their healthy development.  Afterschool child care programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and offer parents a peace of mind that their children are engaged during hours outside of their school day.

In 2020, 90% of parents with a child in an afterschool program agree that afterschool programs keep children safe and out of trouble, 6% higher than 2014 and 13% higher than 2009 the American After 3PM study reports.

In Arizona, for every child in afterschool programs, 3 more children are waiting to get in, Arizona After 3PM reports.

The City of Tempe is committed to investing in the health and safety of all young people including underserved populations by providing expanded learning opportunities that help our children learn and grow, while helping them develop the skills essential for success in life and work. 

The Kid Zone Enrichment Program offers a sliding fee scale removing financial barriers and participates in other subsidy programs to ensure children and families of all demographics have the opportunity to attend the program. Kid Zone currently operates at 15 school locations, providing 23 programs daily.  13 before school and after school, 1 full-day preschool, 4 PRE extended cares, 1 Montessori afterschool PRE and 4 middle school programs. 

Baseline

24% (SY 2011/12)

Target

30% by SY 2047/48

Strategies

• Current school populations 
• % Of Kid Zone participants currently enrolled in programs 

• Outreach through city and external community partnerships to hire quality staff and fill current Kid Zone openings both in part-time and full-time employment 
  • Post on University and Community College job boards which include but not limited to Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University and Maricopa Community College Districts
  • Work with point of contacts to get into classrooms in college areas such as Early Elementary Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education and Special Education
  • Participate in Career Fairs with city and external community partners 
  • Market job openings through social media platforms, e-blasts, print materials and participation in city events
• Retain existing staff
  • Explore professional development opportunities that will enhance knowledge and skillsets to stabilize our workforce and provide additional incentive for program retention 
  • Maintain staff to student ratios equal to or less than state licensing requirements.  The average ratio at Kid Zone is 1:14 lower than the state requirement of 1:20. Keeping adult-to-child ratios at appropriate levels ensures that children are receiving adequate care while also meeting the needs of staff members, helping to avoid staff turnover due to workload difficulties
  • Maintain natural part-time staff retention with high school and college students by continuing flexible schedules, competitive pay, and promotional opportunities within the program
  • 31 full-time/benefited Kid Zone positions ranging from administration to program site managers with a current retention rate of 90%

• Follow quality standards set forth by AZCASE 
• Accredit or reaccredit our Kid Zone programs 
  • 13 programs currently with Kid Zone are State Accredited
  • 3 programs will start the reaccreditation process in spring of 2023
  • 10 programs will start the reaccreditation process in spring of 2024
  • In addition to our 13 programs, 2 more additional programs will start the accreditation process in the fall of 2023 

• Follow licensee responsibilities 
• Resolve DHS inspection findings immediately or within timeframe allowed by program surveyors 
• Maintain operation at all 15 program locations, which includes our full-day preschool program

See Our City in Action

Connect with the data, apps, and other sites, that give more insight into this strategic priority.

Find Data

Search for data, applications or select a category below.