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Empowering Youth and Families: Initiatives in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia
Free After-School Programs in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is promoting over 120 free after-school programs for its youth. These programs offer a wide range of activities, including dance, tutoring, soccer, writing, and performing arts. Recently, the District allocated $25 million to fund numerous nonprofits that run these after-school programs.
One popular program is “Words, Beats & Life,” an after-school program organized by St. Stephen and Incarnation Episcopal Church in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood. This program has been in operation for over 20 years and offers classes in breakdancing, DJing, graffiti, chess, poetry, photography, podcasting, comic book creation, African drums, dance steps, and entrepreneurship.
These programs not only provide fun activities but also offer academic support. Some programs include counselors who work with kids on their homework. “We pay teachers to come in and work with them one-on-one for two hours, or we can go online and treat each teen as an individual case,” said Amos Drummond, operations manager for the foundation.
For more information on these extracurricular activities, visit learn24.dc.gov.
Increased Funding for Home Visits in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced an additional $23.1 million in federal assistance to the National Home Visiting Program in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. This program provides improved home visits and healthcare for pregnant women, new parents, and infants.
This funding will support nurses, social workers, and trained home visitors, helping them provide convenient health screenings in the comfort of home. The program’s success depends on these home visits, which can make a huge difference for new parents.
The Rockville, Maryland-based Human Resources Administration leads this nationwide initiative and works with local health organizations to target parents. Family health care workers can provide breastfeeding support, safe sleep advice, and infant development screenings. They can also help parents find critical services, such as affordable child care or jobs and educational opportunities.
President Joseph Biden signed bipartisan legislation in 2022 to double funding for the program over five years. This move aims to reduce risks associated with pregnancy and improve maternal health, especially for women in rural, tribal, and low-income communities.
The national home visiting program will receive $440 million, with Maryland’s local programs receiving $10 million, Virginia receiving $11 million, and Washington, D.C. receiving $2.5 million.