The school of the 21st Century (21C) is a model for school-based preschool, after-school care and family support services designed to promote the optimal growth and development of children beginning at birth. 21C, also known as Family Resource Center (FRC) in some communities, transforms the traditional school into a year-round, multi service center providing high-quality, accessible services from early morning to early evening.

The 21C model has proven successful in urban, rural and suburban areas, as well as in affluent, middle class, and poor communities. More than 600 schools in 17 states implemented 21C in its first decade. The flexibility of the 21C model enables individual schools to tailor it to match their own needs and resources. In many communities, 21C serves as an umbrella for an expanded array of family support services including adult education, youth development, and social services.

21C is based on 6 guiding principles and 6 program components. Click on the links to view the brief description or scroll down to read more about 21C.

The philosophy and guiding principles of 21C are:

- Universal Access to Child Care
- Strong Parental Support and Involvement
- Focus on the Overall Development of the Child
- High-Quality Child Care
- A Professional Framework for Child Care Providers
- Non-compulsory Programs

The 21C program components are:

- All-Day, Year-Round Child Care for Preschoolers
- Before and After-School and Vacation Care for School-Age Children
- Guidance and Support for Parents
- Information and Referral Services
- Networks and Training for Child Care Providers
- Health Education and Services

What is the philosophy of 21C?

Universal Access to Child Care

Many families do not have access to quality child care because they cannot afford high-priced care or are not fortunate enough to have quality, affordable child care in their communities. Access to affordable, high quality child care for parents and families is essential to the progress of a community.

Strong Parental Support and Involvement

Working parents often find it difficult to spend time with their children's child care providers or to take an active role in the child care or school program. Research shows, however, that parental involvement is essential for the optimal development of children. It is also a crucial factor in the success of any program. Parents are more likely to take an active role in their child's schooling if they feel and encouraged, respected, and supported.

Focus on the Overall Development of the Child
Focusing on the overall development of the child by stressing all aspects of child development, including physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development is crucial to providing optimal child care and schooling.

High-Quality Child Care
Research has proven conclusively that high-quality child care programs are positive experiences for children, while poor-quality programs undermine children's development. Quality is usually determined by staff qualifications and training, high staff-to-child ratios, small groups of children, developmentally-appropriate activities, and supportive work environments for employees that prevent high rates of staff turnover.

A Professional Framework for Child Care Providers
The child care field suffers from a high rate of staff turnover because of low salaries, lack of medical and other benefits, stressful working conditions, and low job status with little room for advancement. Quality of care is adversely affected by high staff turnover. Ensuring that employees receive appropriate training and competitive rates of pay is essential to a program. Providing a supportive and professional environment for employees will also encourage them to stay in the field.

Non-compulsory Programs
Not all families in every community need the same services. Tailoring and administrating programs for children based on the needs of the community is essential for the success of any educational program.

What does a 21C School look like?

Schools and communities decide upon which of the following services are needed within their context.

All-Day, Year-Round Child Care for Preschoolers

The majority of 21C schools have implemented preschool child care in the school building. However, some programs, due to space limitations or other considerations, run their preschool programs at locations outside the school. Preschool child care, whether administered in the school or elsewhere, is not academic in its orientation. By emphasizing developmentally-appropriate activities such as play and social interaction, 21C preschool programs lay the groundwork for children's later success in school.

Before and After-School and Vacation Care
for School-Age Children

Schools of the 21st Century provide year-round child care for school-age children. This child care is non-academic and ensures that children feel free to play, do their homework, and make choices about their after-school activities. In 21C school districts where five-year-old children are in kindergarten for a full day, they have before- and after- school, and vacation care as do the older children. In districts where kindergarten children attend school for only half a day, they participate in child care for the remainder of the day.

Guidance and Support for Parents

The School of the 21st Century family outreach component is based on Missouri's successful "Parents as Teachers" program which educates parents in early child development. Schools of the 21st Century offer regular home visits by trained parent educators starting before the birth of the child and continuing until the child reaches the age of three. Child development specialists provide parents with age-appropriate information about their child's linguistic, social, cognitive, emotional, and motor development in the privacy of their own home. 21C programs also provide opportunities for group meetings with parents of similar-age children and for health and developmental screening at the school.

Information and Referral Services

Schools of the 21st Century do not monopolize child care in their communities; instead they expand parents' choices by providing additional, sorely-needed child care slots, and by providing information and referral that informs parents of their child care options and advises them on the criteria for good quality child care. This service also provides information on night-time and weekend child care, health care, financial assistance for eligible parents, and social services and other family support services available in the community.

Networks and Training for Child Care Providers

Schools of the 21st Century maintain a network of family day care providers who participate in support groups and training workshops, during which they can share ideas and information.

Networks also maintain toy and book lending libraries, and are used to address issues such as salaries, benefits, and running a small business. The relationship between the school and the network is mutually beneficial: providers have an opportunity to improve the quality of their child care, and the school's information and referral service is better able to inform parents about family day care available in the community.

In addition to working with family day care providers, 21C schools work with other community child care providers to promote the highest quality preschool care for children.

Health Education and Services

The range of health services offered by 21C schools includes: health, nutrition and fitness education, physical health services, care for children with special needs, acute health care, developmental assessments, dental assessments and mental health services. Some 21C schools integrate current nutrition information into the regular academic program and make changes in the school's food service to ensure that it complies with current nutrition guidelines.

The School of the 21st Century was conceptualized by Yale University Professor Edward F. Zigler, one of the principal architects of the federal Head Start program.

Since its conception, it has been implemented at more than over 1300 schools in 20 states. The Yale Center for Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University has provided leadership and technical assistance to these 21C schools. In addition to ongoing consultation with members of the 21C National Network, the Yale Center for Child Development and Social Policy also conducts annual training conferences and comprehensive evaluation efforts. To learn more about 21c, please visit their website.

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