Thinking about opening an afterschool or out-of-school-time program? This is the plain-English, sourced map: the licensing-or-exemption question that shapes everything, plus staffing, safety, the five-layer funding stack and 21st Century grants — with real requirements and the agencies to contact.
Start with the founding overview, then settle your licensing status first. Because afterschool rules are set by states and change often, each page links out to the agencies, the Office of Child Care, USDA and the U.S. Department of Education that have the final word.
The founding overview and the one question that shapes everything.
People, safety, space, and the paperwork families rely on.
The five-layer funding stack and the one federal grant for OST.