Fewer Students in Programs, More Wanting to Join
In 2020, only 14% of school-aged children* in the United States joined afterschool programs, about 7.8 million students. This is down from 18% (10.2 million children) in 2014. Even though fewer kids are in these programs, more families than ever want their children to participate, creating a big gap in support for many students, especially in public schools.
More Families Want Afterschool Programs
Half of the kids not in afterschool programs would join if they could. That’s 24.6 million students, up from 41% in 2014. For every child in a program, three more are waiting to get in. This demand spans across elementary school, middle school, and high school students.
Not Everyone Has the Same Chances
Some communities have less access to these programs:
- 58% of Black children and 55% of Latinx children not in programs would join if they could.
- 51% of children from low-income families would sign up if programs were available.
This lack of access can make it harder for some students to keep up with their peers and impacts their academic achievement.
Why It’s Hard for Some Kids to Join
Several things make it tough for some families to use afterschool programs:
- Cost: 57% of parents say programs are too expensive, up from 43% in 2014.
- Transportation: 53% can’t find safe ways to get their kids to and from programs, up from 39% in 2014.
- Availability: 42% say there aren’t enough programs nearby, up from 29% in 2014.
These problems affect low-income families and communities of color the most, making it even harder for some kids to get extra help after school time and expanding the achievement gap further.
How Afterschool Programs Help Kids
When students can join these programs, they get a lot of benefits:
- 96% of parents say the programs help their kids learn to get along with others and manage their emotions.
- 85% say their kids get more physical activity.
- 73% mention that the programs help with homework and teach science and math skills.
These programs play a big role in helping students do better in school, make friends, and stay healthy. They also provide academic enrichment and support student government activities.
Finding New Ways to Help More Kids
To get more kids into afterschool programs, we need new ideas. Digital tools for running these programs could help by:
- Making paperwork easier and faster
- Giving staff more time to work with kids
- Keeping better track of who’s there each day
- Making sure programs follow the rules to get funding
- Helping staff, parents, and school leaders talk to each other better
These digital tools could help programs run smoother and maybe even let more kids join, including younger children and those in early childhood education.
People Want More Support for These Programs
Most people think we should spend more money on afterschool programs:
- 87% of parents think the government should help pay for these programs. That’s the highest number ever in the America After 3PM survey.
- Democrats (91%), Independents (87%), and Republicans (85%) all agree on this.
This shows that people from all political backgrounds see how important these programs are for kids and families throughout the school year.
The Path Forward for After-School Programs
Even though fewer kids are in afterschool programs now, more families want to join than ever before. It’s really important to make these programs easier to join, especially for families that might not have as many opportunities.
If we spend more money on these programs and use new ideas to run them better, we can help more kids join. By making it easier to manage programs, cutting down on paperwork, and helping everyone talk to each other better, we can make afterschool programs work better for everyone. This will help kids do better in school and in life, giving all students, including American students and Canadian children, a better chance to succeed through quality afterschool programs and organized activities.
