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Our nation's leading voice for child care

After-School Care

The last 30 years have shown a substantial increase in labor force participation by women with children. 82.7 percent of school-age children's parents are in the labor force. For many families, there is a gap between the time school-age children are released from the classroom and when parents come home from work. After-school programs offer a safe and enriching alternative to leaving children home alone.

After-school programs ensure that children are in supervised care while their parents are at work.

  • Nearly 6 million children in the United States take care of themselves between the time they get home from school and the time their parents get home from work. Self-care is associated with more accidents and injuries, behavior problems, and lower academic achievement.
  • In households where both parents work or the single parent works, 31 percent of children in grades K-12 are unsupervised after school. According to polling, 26 percent of these families would be likely to use after-school programs if they were available.

For certain groups of children, access to after-school programs is limited.

  • 34 percent of American middle school children are completely unsupervised in the afternoons. The percentage of middle school children spending time in self-care increases with age. 23 percent of 10-year-olds spend some time caring for themselves compared to 44 percent of 12-year-olds.
  • Demand for after-school programs in African American and Hispanic communities is very high. 53 percent of African American parents and 44 percent of Hispanic parents would enroll their children in after-school programs if they were available. African American and Hispanic parents of children who are not already enrolled in after-school programs are more likely to say that these programs are not available to their children.

After-school programs promote school achievement and build life skills.

  • Children who spend time in enrichment activities have better grades, better work habits, and more positive relationships with their peers. After-school programs give children the opportunity to develop creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, and self-direction skills that are linked with success in the workplace.
  • After-school programs also benefit the community. On school days, the peak hours for juvenile crime are between 3 PM and 6 PM. Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities are 49 percent more likely to use drugs and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents than those who spend time in supervised extracurricular activities. - exact updated info wasn't in the 2008 updated fact sheet

The public recognizes the importance and value of after-school programs to ensure that children are supervised while parents work.

  • Parents especially recognize the need for supervised care after school. 67 percent of parents believe that there are not enough after-school programs to meet the needs of their communities.
More than nine out of 10 voters agree that children need organized activities or someplace to go after school everyday, and 52 percent of voters said they would be willing to increase their

United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women in the Labor Force: A Databook, September 2008.

US Census Bureau. "Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005." Detailed Tables, Children in Self-Care, by Age of Child, Employment Status of Mother, and Selected Characteristics for Children Living Mother: Spring 2005 (Numbers and Percentages).(http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/child/ppl-2005.html).

The Urban Institute. Unsupervised Time: Family and Child Factors Associated with Self-Care. November 2003, 1.

Afterschool Alliance. Working Families and Afterschool: A Special Report from America After 3pm, A Household Survey on Afterschool America. (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/press_archives/Working_Families_Rpt.pdf).

Afterschool Alliance. America After 3pm: A Household Survey on Afterschool in America. (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/press_archives/america_3pm/Executive_Summary.pdf), 4.

Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success. May 2003. (http://www.nmefdn.org/uimages/documents/Critical_Hours.pdf), 33.

Afterschool Alliance. "One in Four African American Students Care for Themselves After the School Day Ends, Study Finds." June 2004. (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/press_archives/america_3pm/african_american_pr.pdf).

Afterschool Alliance. A Snapshot of Afterschool and the African American Community. 2003 (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/press_archives/america_3pm/African_American_Fact.pdf).
Afterschool Alliance. A Snapshot of Afterschool and the Hispanic Community. 2003. (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/press_archives/america_3pm/Hispanic_Fact.pdf).

Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success. May 2003. (http://www.nmefdn.org/uimages/documents/Critical_Hours.pdf), 43.

Corporate Voices for Working Families. After School for All: A Call to Action from the Business Community. (http://www.cvworkingfamilies.org/downloads/After%20School%20Statement.pdf).

National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Center for Research on Women, Wellesley College. Making the Case: A Fact Sheet on children and Youth in Out-of-School Time. 2008. (http://www.niost.org/pdf/Final2008FactSheet.pdf).2.

Ibid.

Lake Snell Perry and Associates for the Afterschool Alliance. "Findings from a Nationwide Survey on Afterschool Programs." October 2008. (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/2003_poll_memo.pdf).

Afterschool Alliance. "Summary of Findings from the 2008 National Voters Poll." (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/Fact%20Sheet_Public%20Support%20for%20Afterschool_FINAL.pdf).

Contact Us

Grace Reef,
Chief, Policy & Evaluation
Grace.Reef@naccrra.org


Pamela Davidson,
Director of Government Affairs
Pamela.Davidson@naccrra.org


Hilary Strickland,
Senior State and Local Policy Advisor
Hilary.Strickland@naccrra.org


Keri Haars,
Director of Parent Engagement
Keri.Haars@naccrra.org

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