NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Lisa Lederer January 13, 2021 202/421-5825
New Study Finds Tremendous Unmet Need for Afterschool Programs in the Latinx Community, With 6.5 Million Hispanic Children Without the Access to Afterschool Their Parents Want
WASHINGTON, DC – Satisfaction with afterschool programs has reached a new high among Latinx parents, but limited access, unmanageable costs, and other barriers are preventing many Hispanic students from participating. A new household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance and conducted by Edge Research finds that, for every Hispanic child in an afterschool program today, three more are waiting to get in.
America After 3PM finds that the families of 24.6 million children in the United States — more than ever before — are unable to access an afterschool program and many report that cost is a barrier. America After 3PM exposes significant inequities, with the parents of 55% of Latinx, 58% of Black, and 46% of white children not currently in an afterschool program saying they would enroll their child if they could.
The new study finds that, due to barriers including access, cost, and transportation, the number of Latinx children in afterschool programs has declined from 3.8 million in 2014 to less than 2.3 million today. The decline means more Hispanic students are without the critical supports that can help them succeed. It also signals that, while publicly funded afterschool programs have helped millions of students, public dollars are not nearly sufficient to keep up with demand today.
The study is based on responses from more than 30,000 U.S. families, including 4,393 Hispanic respondents. Building on household surveys conducted in 2004, 2009 and 2014, it offers a pre-pandemic snapshot of how children and youth spend their afternoons and has significant implications for our post-pandemic world. It also includes a separate survey of parents conducted this fall; in it, more than three in five Latinx parents (61%) report stress about providing learning support while their child’s school is operating virtually – a significantly higher percentage than parents overall (54%)
Other findings from America After 3PM:
“Every parent should have access to an affordable, quality afterschool program that will keep their child safe, supervised and learning,” Grant added. “This study paints a picture of unmet need, with the heaviest burdens falling on Latinx, Black and low-income families. We must do better. Publicly funded afterschool programs have long been a lifeline for children. We need to bring more federal, state, local, business and philanthropic support to meeting the needs of students and their families after school.”
A fact sheet on the America After 3PM findings from Latinx respondents is here.
Findings from America After 3PM are based on a nationally representative survey of randomly selected adults who live in the United States and are the parent or guardian of a school-age child who lives in their household. A total of 31,055 households were surveyed in English or Spanish, and a subset of households (14,391 respondents) answered follow-up questions. Data from interviews are weighted on race and income within states and by state population. Projections for Hispanic child-level data represent the 14.26 million Hispanic youth ages 5 to 19 in the United States, based on numbers from the 2018 U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey. Data were collected between January 27 and March 17, 2020, by Edge Research.
The October 2020 survey of parents was conducted by Edge Research and is a nationally representative online survey fielded October 12-29, 2020, of 1,202 parents of school-aged children.
America After 3PM 2020 is made possible with support from the New York Life Foundation, Overdeck Family Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Altria Group, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
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The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs. More information is available at www.afterschoolalliance.org. |
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