ABOUT US

Out-of-School Time (OST) is at its essence the set of care and programming for school-age children in grades K to 12th grade that occurs during non-school hours.  Within this project, this is predominantly after school programming from school dismissal till about 6 p.m. and 6 weeks of full-day summer camp.  

OST programming is part of the City of Philadelphia’s continuum of prevention programs and activities designed to contribute to the overall well-being and safety of youth through access to services that promote their healthy, physical, social, educational, and emotional development.  

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) serves on as the Administrative Intermediary for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families (OCF).  PHMC manages a network of approximately 40 organizations operating more than 130 OST programs throughout the City.  These OST program sites serve approximately 7,500 youth in grades K-12 within a variety of settings – within School District of Philadelphia Schools, Charter and Parochial Schools, and community-based settings.  As a partner with OCF, programming funded through this project is designed for all youth, particularly those who need to be diverted from or have current or previous involvement in the child welfare system.

For information on current OST locations, including the ones within PHMC’s OCF-funded network of OST providers – please visit the City’s Program Locator https://www.phila.gov/ost/program-locator/#/

The City of Philadelphia is committed to supporting and sustaining an OST system built on the following tenets:

  • Building on practices that increase quality and connect to national best practices in OST
  • Diversifying high quality opportunities available to youth across the City
  • A well prepared and appropriately compensated workforce
  • Equitable access to programming that ensures children, youth, and families thrive
  • Working in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia (“SDP”) by aligning with their goals for every student to read on or above grade level and every student to graduate ready for college and career
  • Working in partnership with SDP by supporting with their guardrail that every student has a well-rounded education including arts, athletics, and other co-curricular opportunities, integrated into the school experience  

Organizational Roles 

City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families and Department of Human Services  

In January 2020, under Executive Order No. 2-20 by the Mayor of Philadelphia, the Office of Children and Families (“OCF”) was established to improve the outcomes for all of Philadelphia’s children and families, build stronger communities, and support great schools in every neighborhood. OCF oversees the following City programs and services:

  • Department of Human Services (child welfare and juvenile justice)
  • Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
  • Free Library of Philadelphia
  • PHLpreK, the City’s free, quality pre-K program for three- and four-year-olds  
  • Community Schools
  • Prevention Support Services (Out-of-School Time, Youth Workforce Development, Truancy)  
  • Adult Education
  • Philly Reading Coaches
  • Food Access  

OCF aligns policy, resources, programs, and services for the City of Philadelphia, prioritizing:  

Safe Children. Ensuring children are safe in their homes is critical. The city's Department of Human Services responds to reports of child abuse and neglect, answers the child abuse hotline, manages in-home supports, as well as foster care services. It also provides services for youth in the juvenile justice system.

Strong Families. Supporting families to safely care for children is the foundation for multiple areas of work under the Office of Children and Families. Free Out-of-School Time programs, summer camps, summer youth job opportunities, and PHLpreK are all programs that improve children’s readiness for academic success while allowing caregivers to maintain steady employment.

Supported Schools and Communities. Philadelphia’s public parks, recreation centers, and libraries support strong communities. In partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, OCF works to ensure quality support services and resources for children, families, and the community.

DHS’ mission is to provide and promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children and youth at risk of abuse, neglect, and delinquency. DHS is organized in the following divisions, each of which is responsible for providing services related to its name: Administration and Management (A&M), Child Welfare Operations (CWO), Finance, Juvenile Justice Services (JJS), and Performance Management and Technology (PMT).  

The services to be purchased via this solicitation effort are under the auspices of City of Philadelphia Office of Children and Families and Department of Human Services. Specifically, PHMC serves as the fiscal and contracting intermediary for this project.

The City’s role is to oversee the OST System in collaboration with PHMC who facilitates and monitor continuous quality improvement practices for all funded providers.  

Public Health Management Corporation

PHMC is a nonprofit public health institute that builds healthier communities through partnerships with government, foundations, businesses, and community-based organizations. It fulfills its mission to improve the health of the community by providing outreach, health promotion, education, research, planning, technical assistance, and direct services. PHMC has served the Greater Philadelphia region since 1972 as a facilitator, developer, intermediary, manager, advocate, and innovator in the field of public health. With over 2,500 employees, 350 programs, a network of subsidiary organizations, 70 sites, and close to 350,000 clients served annually, PHMC has become one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation.

In this role, PHMC, in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia, supports the OST provider solicitation process, manages data collection and reporting related to provider service delivery, and oversees provider contract development, execution, invoicing, and payment.

PHMC has partnered with the City of Philadelphia since 2008 to support the OST network. This RFP is issued by PHMC and contracts resulting from this RFP will be between the awarded providers and PHMC. 
 

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